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ZanzibarVisit
The weathered stone ramparts of the Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar, under a blue sky.

Stone Town

Stone Town, Zanzibar

A labyrinth of coral-stone alleys, carved doors, and Swahili-Omani history at the heart of Zanzibar City.

Stone Town is the old heart of Zanzibar City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — a dense maze of narrow alleys, coral-rag buildings, and the famous brass-studded carved wooden doors that blend Swahili, Arab, Indian, and European influences. For centuries it was the trading hub of the East African coast, and that layered history is written into every street.

Use this guide to find your way around the town's landmarks — the seafront Old Fort and House of Wonders, the Forodhani night food market, and the birthplace of Freddie Mercury — and to plan a half-day of wandering through one of the most atmospheric old towns in Africa.

Grilled prawns and octopus on a vendor's hot plate at the Forodhani night food market in Stone Town.

Forodhani Gardens

Stone Town's beloved seafront park and home to Zanzibar's most famous nightly street-food market.

Hands holding an open annatto pod with bright red seeds on a Zanzibar spice farm tour.

Freddie Mercury's Birthplace

The Stone Town house where Freddie Mercury was born in 1946, now a small memorial with photographs and memorabilia on Kenyatta Road.

The weathered stone ramparts of the Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar, under a blue sky.

House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib)

Sultan Barghash's landmark 1883 seafront palace — the first building in Zanzibar with electricity — now under restoration after a 2020 collapse.

The weathered stone ramparts of the Old Fort in Stone Town, Zanzibar, under a blue sky.

Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)

Stone Town's oldest standing structure, an Omani-built fortress from the 1690s that now hosts craft markets and live music.