Architectural, Cultural sights in Africa
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Beit el-Ajaib (House of Wonders)
Beit el-Ajaib - home to the Zanzibar National Museum of History & Culture is one of the largest structures in Zanzibar. It was built in 1883 by Sultan Barghash (r 1870-88) as a ceremonial palace. After British naval bombardment in 1896 it was rebuilt and used as a residential palace for the Sultans and later the headquarters of the CCM (Tanzania's ruling party).
Inside are exhibits on the dhow culture of the Indian Ocean, Swahili civilisation and 19th-century Zanzibar, plus smaller displays on kangas (printed cotton wraparound, incorporating a Swahili proverb, worn by women) and the history of Stone Town. There's also a life-sized mtepe (a traditional Swahili sailing…
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Iziko Michaelis Collection
On the south side of Greenmarket Sq, the city’s second-oldest public space after the Grand Parade is the beautifully restored Old Townhouse, a Cape rococo building dating from 1755. It now houses the impressive art collection of Sir Max Michaelis, donated to the city in 1914. Dutch and Flemish paintings and etchings from the 16th and 17th centuries (including works by Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Anthony van Dyck) hang side by side with contemporary works – the contrasts between old and new are fascinating. The cool interior is a relief from the buzzing market outside on Greenmarket Square, while the relaxed Ivy Garden Restaurant in the courtyard behind is worth considering…
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Casa de Ferro
Just off the Praça de Independência is the Casa de Ferro, which was designed by Eiffel in the late 19th century as the governor's residence, though its metal-plated exterior proved unsuitable for tropical conditions.
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Grand Hôtel Villa de France
To the north of Place de France in Ville Nouvelle, down Rue de la Liberté, stands the closed and crumbling Grand Hôtel Villa de France. The French painter Eugène Delacroix stayed here in 1832, when it really was a grand hotel. His fellow artist and compatriot, Henri Matisse, followed in the early 1900s.
Of the many artists who have passed through Tangier, Matisse is one of the most famous. The French impressionist and leading light of the early 20th-century Fauvist movement called Tangier a 'painter's paradise'. His two visits to the city, in the spring of 1912 and again the following winter, had a profound influence on his work.
Inspired by the luminous North African…
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Harari National Cultural Centre
Visiting a traditional Adare house is a must, but you'll probably need a guide to find one. The easiest house to find, not far from the Erer Gate (known locally as Argobari), houses the Harari National Cultural Centre. This typical Adare house contains examples of traditional arts and crafts.
Several Adare houses also double as family-run souvenir shops. If you don't buy anything, it's customary to tip the owner for the tour.
A distinct architectural feature in Harar, the gegar (traditional Adare house) is a rectangular, two-storey structure with a flat roof. The house is carefully constructed to remain cool whatever the outside temperature: clay reinforced with wooden…
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Mombasa Old Town Conservation Society
While Mombasa's Old Town doesn't quite have the medieval charm of Lamu or Zanzibar, it's still an interesting area to wander around. The houses here are characteristic of coastal East African architecture, with ornately carved doors and window frames and fretwork balconies, designed to protect the modesty of the female inhabitants. Sadly, many of these have been destroyed; there is now a preservation order on the remaining doors and balconies, so further losses should hopefully be prevented.
The Mombasa Old Town Conservation Society is encouraging the renovation of many dilapidated buildings
From the outside there's little evidence of what any of these buildings were once…
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Fasiladas' Bath
Around 2km northwest of town centre lies Fasiladas' Bath, a shady, beautiful and historical spot attributed to both Fasiladas and Iyasu I.
The large, rectangular sunken pool is overlooked by a small but charming building, thought by some to be Fasiladas' second residence. Almost out of Cambodia's Angkor Thom, snakelike tree roots envelop, support and digest sections of the stone wall surrounding the pool.
Although the complex was used for bathing (royalty used to don inflated goatskin lifejackets for their refreshing dips!), it was likely constructed for religious celebrations, the likes of which still go on today. Once a year, Fasiladas' Bath is filled with water for…
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House of Yusuf Karamanli
Just south of the Roman Column Crossroads, the House of Yusuf Karamanli dates from the beginning of the 19th century and was the private residence of Tripoli's former ruler. Although this represents an extravagant example, it provides a window on the world of private houses that once hid behind the medina's high walls. The courtyard, with a fountain in the centre, is one of the loveliest in the medina and is surrounded by balconies.
The house has been converted into a museum and on the ground floor is a restored traditional bedroom, displays of traditional clothing, a sitting room and the kitchen. On the 1st floor, once home to the private living quarters, there are…
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Enda Iyesus
For as long as 5000 years, monoliths have been used in northeast Africa as tombstones and monuments to local rulers. In Aksum, this tradition reached its apogee. Like Egypt's pyramids, Aksum's stelae were like great billboards announcing to the world the authority, power and greatness of the ruling families. Aksum's astonishing stelae are striking for their huge size, their incredible, almost pristine, state of preservation, and their curiously modern look.
Sculpted from single pieces of granite, some look more like Manhattan skyscrapers than 1800-year-old obelisks, complete with little windows, doors and sometimes even door handles and locks! Metal plates, perhaps in the…
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Swahili House Museum
If the Lamu Museum stokes your interest in Swahili culture, this beautifully restored traditional house tucked away off to the side of Yumbe House hotel will put you firmly back in the past.
Inside Swahili House Museum you'll find a recreation of a working Swahili home, with cookware, beds and other furniture. The attendant will give you a whistle-stop but informative tour in between small talk, including some fascinating descriptions of the regimented lives of Swahilis in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Traditional Swahili homes were built along rigid social lines, with separate quarters for men and women and audience halls that allowed men to receive guests without…
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Dar Glaoui
Probably the most impressive residence in Fez, this 150-year-old palace comprises some 17 houses, stables, a mausoleum and cemetery, Quranic school, hammam, garages and two large gardens. It's privately owned by the El-Glaoui family of Marrakesh, but you can make an appointment to view it with Abdou (phone after midday).
Abdou, whose art is on display at the entrance, will show you the massive courtyard and four salons resplendent with carved, painted wood, carved plaster, Iraqi glass and carved and painted 'stalactites'. He'll also take you to the kitchen (large enough to serve the entire complex), which leads to the harem, with another courtyard, wall fountain and…
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Goerke Haus
Lieutenant Hans Goerke came to Swakopmund with the Schutztruppe in 1904, though he was later posted to Lüderitz, where he served as a diamond company manager. His home, designed by architect Otto Ertl and constructed in 1910 on Diamond Hill, was one of the town's most extravagant.
Goerke left for Germany in 1912 and eight years later his home was purchased by the newly formed Consolidated Diamond Mines (CDM) to house the company's chief engineer. When the CDM headquarters transferred to Oranjemund in 1944, the house was sold to the government and became occupied by the resident Lüderitz magistrate. In 1981, however, the magistrate was shifted to Keetmanshoop, and the…
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Castillo de la Fortaleza
This miniature stone-turreted castle was built fifty years ago, not for tourism purposes, but as a folly; it was also the home of local archaeologist, writer, artist and collector, the late Vicente Sanchez Araña.
The museum has sixteen rooms which reflect the eclectic interests and energy of this veritable Renaissance man. The most impressive houses a well-labelled (in several languages) archaeological display - the Guanche artefacts were found in nearby caves. These include a tiny carved female idol; a Guanche symbol and one of only two in the world (the other is exhibited in a museum in France). Another room displays ancient armaments, including a 16th-century crossbow…
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Rimbaud's House
Near the middle of the walled city, Rimbaud's House is (yet another) building in which the poet is said to have lived. It was thoughtfully restored with the support of the Italian and French embassies. Although Rimbaud did live in the city, it is not thought to have been here. However, the building houses a new museum dedicated to the poet, with a series of illustrated panels (mainly in French) about his life.
On the 1st floor, don't miss the excellent turn-of-the-20th-century photographs of Harar - a fantastic step back in time. Another room holds changing exhibitions (often old photographs or paintings), and there's a small selection of traditional Adare arts and…
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Villa Ambron
Committed fans of Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet might like to search out the Villa Ambron where Durrell lived and wrote during the last two years of the war. Gilda Ambron, whose name appeared in the Quartet's 'Balthazar', painted with her mother in a studio in the garden, shared with their neighbour Clea Badaro, who provided inspiration for the character of Clea in the Quartet.
Durrell's room was on top of an octagonal tower in the garden, though sadly the place has deteriorated badly over the past couple of decades. If you're in for a pilgrimage anyway, from Misr train station walk southeast down Sharia Moharrem Bey, then at the little square at the end turn left…
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Maison du Gouverneur
This 18th-century residence of the former beys or pashas of Kairouan called the Maison du Gouverneur, signposted as 'Tapis-Sabra', is an exquisitely restored medina house and an extravagant counterpoint to the austerity of the Aghlabids. The interior is a sumptuous combination of cedar and teak, marble latticework, plaster moulding and elegant tiled arches adorning the entrance hall, harem and reception hall where the governor received official guests and held meetings.
The house doubles, of course, as a carpet shop; after watching a woman demonstrate the painstaking art of carpet making (women make the carpets, men sell them), you'll be expected to view the carpets. If…
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Groote Schuur
Cecil Rhodes bequeathed this historic house and its surrounding estate to the nation. It was home to a succession of prime ministers, culminating with FW de Klerk. The beautifully restored interior, all teak panels and heavy colonial furniture, antiques and tapestries of the finest calibre, is suitably imposing.
The best feature is the colonnaded veranda overlooking the formal gardens, sloping uphill towards an avenue of pine trees and sweeping views of Devil’s Peak. The tour includes tea on the veranda. You must bring your passport to gain entry to this high-security area; the entrance is unmarked but easily spotted on the left as you take the Princess Anne Ave exit off…
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Casa de Los Dragones
With its green triumphal arch (inscribed ‘a monument to coexistence’) and fountain, the Plaza de Los Reyes, borders the twin-towered yellow Iglesia deSan Francisco.But the real treasure lies across the street: the Casa de los Dragones a fantastic dream that has entered the real world. Recently restored to perfection, this former home is an extraordinary example of eclectic architecture, with Moorish arches, polished brick facades, Mansard roofs, fabulous balconies, and the pièce de résistance, four enormous dark dragons springing from the roof. The intricate anagram of the Cerni Gonzalez Brothers, the builders, is emblazoned on the corner. Tip your hat.
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Paul Kruger House Museum
A short walk west from Church Sq is the former residence of Paul Kruger, now the Paul Kruger House Museum. The house, built in 1884, would have been grand at the time, but today seems lost on the busy street. Guarded by two stone lions, the house contains period furniture and a random collection of personal knick-knacks belonging to Kruger and his wife Gezina, from which it’s hard to conjure up an image of their lives there. There are some interesting bits of memorabilia though, including the knife that Kruger used to amputate his thumb after a shooting accident. The Dutch Reformed Church, where he worshipped and preached, is just across the road.
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De Lesseps' House
The residence of the one-time French consul to Egypt used to be open to the public. These days, however, you can see the interior only if you're a VIP of some sort, as the building currently serves as a private guesthouse for visitors of the Suez Canal Authority.
If you're not a privileged guest, you might be interested to know that de Lesseps' bedroom looks as if it has hardly been touched in over a century - old photos, books and various utensils are scattered around the desk by his bed and on the floor. Inside the grounds is also de Lesseps' private carriage, which has been encased in glass and remains in impeccable condition.
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Ras Tafari's House
Within pouncing distance of Rimbaud's House is the conspicuous Ras Tafari's House. The building has now been taken over by a local family including a holy man-cum-herbal healer. A sign declares that the sheikh can cure anything from STDs to diabetes, mental illness and cancer! Past patients - apparently testifying to his success - return to look after the holy man, cooking and cleaning for him for the rest of their lives.
The house was built by an Indian trader and many of its features, such as the Hindu figures on the door, are Oriental. Haile Selassie spent his honeymoon here, hence the house bears his pre-coronation name.
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Casa de la Aguada
Just off Plaza Constitución, which is shaded by enormous Indian laurel trees, is Casa de la Aguada, also referred to as Casa de la Aduana or Casa Condal, since at different times it served as the customs house and the count's residence. The tourist office fills one side of this traditional Canary home, but the back of it is dedicated to the exhibit 'La Gomera & the Discovery of America', an interesting account (though all in Spanish) of Columbus' trip and Gomeran culture in those times.
According to folklore, Columbus drew water from the well that sits in the central patio and used it to 'baptise America'.
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Beit el-Suhaymi
Beit el-Suhaymi is a family mansion and caravanserai (merchants’ inn) built in the 17th and 18th centuries. From the street, it’s nothing; after jogging through a narrow hall, you arrive at a peaceful courtyard surrounded by a warren of reception halls, storerooms and baths. It has been thoroughly restored, though barely furnished (fire extinguishers, a precaution required by the extensive new woodwork, are the most prominent item on display). As a result it feels a bit ghostly – especially considering some 30 families were evicted to make way for the renovation.
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Dar Ba Mohamed Ben Chergui
This magnificent place belonged to a previous pasha of Fez, Ba Mohamed Ben Chergui. There are two houses in the complex - one the main house for the men, the other the harem. The harem has a remarkable garden made of raised star-shaped flower beds. Inside, the hammam is worth a visit, and look out for the black-and-white photograph of the last pasha to live there. It's all decaying badly, though the complex is up for sale.
The caretaker is happy to show people around the ground floor of the main house, the hammam, and the harem garden. Tip him about around DH20.
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Amir Taz Palace
Walking west along busy Sharia as-Salbiyya eventually leads to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. A short detour north on Sharia Suyufiyya brings you to two little-visited but rewarding buildings. The Amir Taz Palace is the restored home of one of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad’s closest advisers, who later controlled the throne through Sultan Hassan. Now used as a cultural centre, the home is not as extensive as Beit el-Suhaymi, but admission is free, and there are a couple of small exhibits, a beautiful wood ceiling in the loggia and clean bathrooms.
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