Located on the largest island in Tanzania, the Stone Town of Zanzibar is a celebrated cultural and historical monument that encompasses the oldest parts of Zanzibar City. The buildings of Stone Town are carved from the coral rock that constitutes the bedrock of the island. Constructed mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries, when Zanzibar was an important trading port in the Indian Ocean, the buildings reflect the cultural diversity of the island at the time and include native Swahili architecture mixed with Persian, Moorish, Indian, and European styles. The narrow, winding streets of the old city are lined with ornate Moorish doors and lead to the largest building at the site: the Beit-El-Ajaib, or House of Wonders. The Beit-El-Ajaib was a grand ceremonial palace built by Sultan Seyyid Barghash in the 1883 and was the first building on the island to have electricity. It now houses a cultural museum, with collections of the island's vast artistic legacy. The Stone Town is one of Tanzania's most treasured monuments and one of the most popular sites to visit.
Bagamoyo was founded in the 18th century as the original capital of German East Africa, as Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi were once known. The city was one of the largest and most important trading ports along the East African coast, providing fish, salt, and gum to visiting traders. The city has many historic stone buildings, such as the Mission, the Old Church and the German garrison and has recently been designated a World Heritage Site and is also a popular tourist attraction.
Just three miles south of Bagamoyo lies the Kaole Ruins. At the center of the ruins stands the remains of the oldest mosque in East Africa, built in the 13th century, when the Sultan of Kilwa held sway over trade in the area. Nearby stands another mosque, built in the 15th century, which was erected beside a graveyard decorated with Shirazi-style pillared tombs. A museum stands at the site that holds a collection of the fascinating and diverse artifacts found nearby, such as Chinese pottery fragments.
