| Paje on the east coast of Zanzibar |
Zanzibar is legendary for its white sand beaches fringed with tall palms, pristine coral reefs, and turquoise waters. And for good reason, it’s true! But people are lured not for the beaches alone. These are the “spice islands” and are not only steeped in history but have a rich cultural heritage and a slow paced, relaxed atmosphere not found on the mainland. Although people have inhabited the islands for the thousands of years, the islands did not reach their prime until between the 12th and 15th centuries as a major island city-state and exporter of various commodities. Its rise was concurrent with the introduction of Islam from the Arab and Persian sea traders. The influences of Arabia, Persia, and India have melded into a rich culture known as Swahili. Although very similar to Lamu in Kenya, Zanzibar is a much older and more powerful archipelago. It was the largest world exporter in cloves and was the largest slave exporter along the coast. It’s estimated that between 1830 and 1873 there were 600,000 slaves that went through Zanzibar’s markets. Steady streams of caravans reached deep within the continent extracting tons of ivory and animal skins as well as slaves that were sold in the markets of Zanzibar. After the British banded the exports of slaves by sea, Zanzibar’s power and influence greatly diminished. Zanzibar remains an amazing and distinctive destination. The provincial capital of Stone Town is full of narrow winding streets with white washed coral-rag houses, beautiful but decaying courtyards, quaint squares, vibrant bazaars, and busy mosques. At the heart of the island, everything comes through Stone Town. The spice plantations still grow cloves, vanilla, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, breadfruit, jackfruit, and lemongrass. The beaches are beautiful and surprisingly undeveloped. The seafood here is incredibly inexpensive and plentiful. |
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