Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The ruins of Mtoni palace, built by Sultan Seyyid Said as his residence in the early 19th
century, are located just northeast of Maruhubi Palace. In its heyday, the palace was a beau-
tiful building with a balconied exterior, a large garden courtyard complete with peacocks
and gazelles, an observation turret and a mosque. By the mid-1880s the palace had been
abandoned, and during WWI parts of the compound were used as a supplies storehouse.
Today nothing remains of Mtoni's grandeur other than a few walls, although you can get
an idea of how it must have once looked by reading Emily Said-Reute's
Memoirs of an
Arabian Princess
. To get here, continue north on the main road past the Maruhubi Palace
turn-off for about 2km, from where the ruins are signposted to the west.
Kidichi Persian Baths
HISTORIC SITE
These baths, northeast of Zanzibar Town, are another construction of Sultan Seyyid Said,
built in 1850 for his Persian wife at the island's highest point. They're unremarkable now,
but with a bit of imagination, you can see the sultan's lavishly garbed coterie disrobing to
test the waters. The decor, with its stylised birds and flowers, is typically Persian, though
it's now in poor condition. Take dalla-dalla 502 to the main Bububu junction, from where
it's a 3km walk east down an unsealed road. Look for the bathhouse to your right.
Mosques
MOSQUE
Misikiti wa Balnara (Malindi Minaret Mosque) is the oldest of Stone Town's many
mosques, originally built in 1831, enlarged in 1841 and extended again by Seyyid Ali bin
Said, the son of Sultan Seyyid Said, in 1890. Others include the
Aga Khan Mosque
and
the impressive
Ijumaa Mosque
. It's not permitted to enter the mosques, as they're all in
use, although exceptions may be made if you're appropriately dressed.
Forodhani Gardens
GARDENS
(Jamituri Gardens;
Click here
)
One of the best ways to ease into life on the island is to stop
by these recently renovated waterside public gardens in the evening, when the grassy plaza
comes alive with dozens of vendors serving up grilled
pweza
(octopus), plates of goat meat,
Zanzibari pizza (rolled-up, omelette-filled chapati),
mkate wa ufuta
(a thick, local version
of naan), chips, samosas and more. The gardens are also a meeting point, with families sit-
ting on the grass chatting and children playing. It's all lit up, first by the setting sun and
then by small lanterns. The gardens are opposite the Old Fort.
