This Stone Town Zanzibar guide walks you through the island's historic heart. Stone Town is one of East Africa's most extraordinary places — a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Swahili, Arab, Indian, and Portuguese cultures have layered over centuries into a labyrinth of narrow streets, ornate carved doors, rooftop terraces, and night markets that smell of cloves and grilled octopus. It is not Zanzibar's beaches that most visitors remember longest — it's the hour they got completely lost inside Stone Town's medina and stumbled into a courtyard that felt unchanged from the 1800s.
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Stone Town History in 3 Minutes
Stone Town (Mji Mkongwe in Swahili — 'old town') was the capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate from the 17th century and became the commercial centre of the East African spice and slave trade under Omani Arab rule. At its peak in the 19th century, up to 50,000 enslaved people passed through Zanzibar's markets annually — the largest slave market in East Africa. The British abolished the trade in 1873, and the monument now stands where the market once operated. The town's architecture reflects its layers: Swahili coral-rag buildings, Omani Arab forts and houses with their characteristic carved wooden doors, Indian merchant townhouses with ornate façades, and British colonial administrative buildings.
Top Historical Sites
The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)
Built by Omani Arabs in 1699 on the ruins of a Portuguese chapel, the Old Fort is Stone Town's oldest standing structure. Free to enter, it hosts a nightly cultural show and houses a small market and café inside its walls. Start here for orientation — the fort is visible from the waterfront and anchors the old town.
The Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral
The most historically significant site in Stone Town. The Anglican Cathedral (1873) was deliberately built on the site of the slave market — the altar placed exactly where the whipping post stood. The memorial sculpture outside and the underground slave chambers beneath the courtyard are among the most powerful sites in East Africa. Allow 1–2 hours; audio guides available.
The House of Wonders (Beit el-Ajaib)
The largest building in Stone Town and the first in East Africa to have electricity and an elevator. Built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash, it served as the royal palace and later a museum. Currently under restoration (2024–2026) — check current opening status before visiting.
Freddie Mercury's Birthplace
Farrokh Bulsara — later Freddie Mercury — was born in Stone Town in 1946. The building on Kenyatta Road now houses a boutique hotel (Mercury's Inn) and a small exhibition. The rooftop bar is one of the best sunset spots in Stone Town.
Stone Town Food — What to Eat
Forodhani Gardens Night Market
The unmissable evening experience. From sunset onwards, vendors set up along the waterfront selling: Zanzibar pizza (a street food peculiar to Stone Town — thin dough filled with meat, egg, cheese, and vegetables), sugarcane juice, lobster, octopus, and Urojo (Zanzibar mix — a complex, slightly sour soup with potatoes, fritters, and egg). Budget 5,000–15,000 TZS per item. Arrive before dark to see the stalls set up; the atmosphere peaks around 8–9 PM.
Best Restaurants in Stone Town
The Emerson Spice Hotel rooftop: The best view in Stone Town, spectacular sunset, prix-fixe Swahili dinner — book ahead. Lukmaan Restaurant: The best local food, no tourists, Swahili buffet daily from 11 AM. Order pilau rice, biriyani, and octopus curry. Cash only. The House of Spices: Good fish curry and a well-organised menu for visitors.
Getting Lost — the Point of Stone Town
Stone Town's medina has no clear grid — it's a dense network of lanes, some barely wide enough for two people to pass. The getting lost is the experience. Give yourself two to three hours with no agenda: follow the carved door trail (Stone Town's doors are among the finest examples of Swahili-Arab woodcarving in existence — the older, more heavily studded ones indicate Arab ownership; Indian-owned buildings have rounded tops), wander into courtyards when gates are open, and accept that you'll loop back to the same corner three times.
How to Spend 1, 2, or 3 Days in Stone Town
1 day: Slave market and cathedral (morning), Forodhani night market (evening), rooftop sunset bar in between. 2 days: Add Old Fort, Freddie Mercury birthplace, a half-day spice tour from the town, and Lukmaan for lunch. 3 days: Add a day trip to Prison Island (giant Aldabra tortoises) or a morning snorkelling at Nakupenda sandbank.