Zanzibar Archipelago Sights

  1. 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).

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  2. Beit el-Sahel (Palace Museum)

    Just north of the Beit el-Ajaib, is Beit el-Sahel. This palace served as the sultan's residence until 1964 when the dynasty was overthrown. Now it's a museum devoted to the era of the Zanzibar sultanate. The ground floor displays details of the formative period of the sultanate from 1828 to 1870.

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  3. Mangapwani Caves

    The Mangapwani caves are located about 20km north of Zanzibar Town along the coast. There are actually two locations. The first is a large natural cave with a freshwater pool, supposedly used in connection with the slave trade.

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