zanzibar .sland

zanzibar - Tanzania

Beautiful place in zanzibar and tanzania

Tingatinga paintings in Stone Town - Zanzibar TINGATINGA

Shop with colorful Tingatinga paintings in Stone Town - Zanzibar TINGATINGA - Popular African Paintings

White sands and islets abound

At the northern tip of the island is Nungwi, approached by a road lined by banana palms, mangroves and coconut trees. This is the dhow building capital of Zanzibar island, so it is a good place to see traditional craftsmen at work.
On the west coast of Zanzibar, Mangapwani beach is worth a visit, and to the east are the beaches of Matemwe, Pwani Mchangani, Kiwengwa, Uroa, Bwejuu and Jambiani, all with stretches of beautiful white sands.

Zanzibar also boasts several small offshore islands which are ideal for a day-trip. Prison (or Changu) island is the most popular with tourists because it is only a short trip from Stone Town. Originally, it was used by Arabs to detain recalcitrant slaves, and then a jail was built by the British, but it was never actually used. Visitors to Zanzibar will notice a large population of ancient Aldabra tortoises. Other islets near to Stone Town are Chapwani, Chumbe and Bawe.

Prison Island

Once the site of a gaol for misbehaving slaves, the island lies just off the old stone town. It is fringed with a beautiful coral reef, ideal for snorkelling, and has a lovely white beach for sun-bathing.

It is also home to a family of giant tortoises, imported from the Seychelles in the late 19th century. This island is ideal for a day-trip with refreshments available throughout the day. It also has a small restaurant where you can enjoy freshly caught fish

 

Jozani Forest

The Jozani Natural Forest Reserve is located in the central east region of Zanzibar island and is home to the rare Red Colobus Monkey (pictured opposite), which is endemic to Zanzibar. These monkeys are full of character, and roam freely. They can also be seen at very close quarters just outside the reserve’s perimeter and are incredibly photogenic. Jozani is home to other species including Syke’s monkey’s, small buck and bushpigs. The elusive Zanzibar leopard (last sited several years ago) is said to feed here at night – perhaps this is why the reserve is only open during the day?! Jozani has an excellent nature trail and the guides are well trained and informative

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forodhani gardens market zanzibar

Forodhani Gardens is a popular meeting place amongst locals and tourists alike, who want to enjoy themselves whilst having some drinks and snacks in the gardens. After reconstruction in 2009, there is now a new sea wall, modernised food stalls, an open area for entertainment and musical events, a playground for kids and plenty of tropical plants. 

In the centre of the gardens is a podium where the band of the Sultan's army used to play for the public. Nearer the sea is a white concrete arabesque arch, which was built in 1956 for the visit of Princess Margaret (sister of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain), although this was never officially used, as the princess arrived at the dhow harbour instead.  She did however visit the gardens and planted the large tree with creepers that can still be seen today.

Large, flat cement benches shaded by trees and the terrace of Zenji's Garden Cafe invite you to rest on a sunny day or during a tropical evening

forodhani

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Michenzani Housing Project

11JAN

Michenzani is a large neighbourhood of Ng’ambo, the more modern part of Zanzibar City. The place is mostly known for a complex of apartment blocks constructed from large, prefabricated concrete slabs called “Plattenbauten” that have been built here in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the aid of East Germany. The Michenzani apartment blocks used to be the pride of revolutionary government of Zanzibar however since virtually no maintenance has been made after the 1970s, the buildings are now in a state of decay. Lack of water pressure makes water services unavailable from the second floors up. As a result many residents have installed their own water pumps, which are not in keeping with the original style of the buildings. What is more despite being the tallest public buildings in Zanzibar, no lifts were installed and all the flats are only accessible by stairs. The effects of socialist urban planning in Zanzibar you can see in the pictures

Kumbukumbu ya Miaka Hamsini ya Mapinduzi Mitukufu ya Zanzibar ya Mwaka 1964

Haiba ya Mnara wa Kumbukumbu ya Miaka Hamsini ya Mapinduzi Matukufu ya Zanzibar ya Mwaka 1964 inavyoonekana baada ya kumalizika kujengwa hapo katika Majumba ya Maendeleo Michenzani Mjini Zanzibar.

 

Rais wa Zanzibar Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein akiangalia mandhari ya Mji wa Zanzibar katika chombo maalum { Darubini } wakati alipotembelea sehemu mbali mbali za Mnara wa Kumbukumbu ya Miaka 50 ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar Michenzani baada ya Kuuzindua rasmi

 

Mandhari ya Bustani ya Michenzani iliyomo ndani ya eneo la Mnara linavyoonekana kwa juu ya Mnara wa Kumbu kumbu ya Miaka 50 ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar

The Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe)

The Old Fort is one of the prominent visitor attractions in Stone Town, and its courtyard as been adapted to serve as a cultural centre with curio shops selling tourist-oriented merchandise such as tingatinga paintings; it also has an open-air amphitheatre where live dance and music shows are held most evenings, a restaurant, and a tourist information desk.^[3] It is also the main venue used for large events such as the Festival of the Dhow Countries (also known as the Zanzibar International Film Festival) and the Sauti za Busara.^[4]
The defining features of the waterfront are the ragstone ramparts of Ngome Kongwe the Old Fort. It was the first defensive structure built by the Busaidi Omani Arabs when they seized the island from the Portuguese in 1698, and did duty as a prison and place of execution until the British transformed it into a ladies tennis club in 1949. Nowadays, the open-air amphitheatre provides a dramatic screening venue for the International Film Festival, while restored rooms house offices for the Zanzibar Cultural Cente

House of Wonders (Beit-el-Ajaib)

Built for ceremonial chutzpah by Sultan Barghash in 1883, the 'House of Wonders' rises in
 impressive tiers of slender steel pillars and balconies overlooking the Forodhani Gardens.
 It is the grandest structure in Zanzibar and in its heyday it sported fine marble floors, panelled
 walls and never-before-seen running water and electricity. Now it houses the National Museum
 of History & Culture with exhibits on the dhow culture of the Indian Ocean and Swahili
 civilisation.

Aside from the exhibits, the house itself is a wonderful site. Its enormous doors are said to be the
largest carved doors in East Africa and outside two bronze canons bear Portuguese inscriptions
 dating them to the 16th century. In 2012 years of neglected maintenance finally caught
 up with the palace and a section of balcony on the southeastern corner collapsed, closing the
museum to the public.
 Restoration has since been mired in controversy and the doors remain firmly shut with no
 date currently set for reopening.

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Malindi mosque

Malindi mosque

This mosque is actually not the largest mosque in Stone Town. However it is in Malindi which is a bustling area near the center of Stone Town. Access to the mosque is not quite simple.
“Mosque in Malindi

Jumbi secondary school was facing with lack of material for learning

Poverty and illiteracy are contributing factors to the growing problem of child labour. Schools in the region face problems of inadequate facilities and resources and insufficient qualified teachers.

Jumbi secondary school

 Unlike mainland Tanzania, schools do not receive government funding and rely on parental contributions.The school started in 1993 with 80 pupils in just two class rooms and currently has 250 pupils between the ages of 7 to 14. There are eight teachers employed by the school. The school has seven classrooms. The school is located 12km from Wete town and is surrounded by four densely populated villages nearby. However, there are no library facilities nearby.

KARIBU ZANZIBAR FASHION FESTIVAL 2016

KARIBU ZANZIBAR FASHION FESTIVAL 2016

 Unguja Kisiwani Zanzibar   kutokana na tukio moja tu la kipekee la onesho la mavazi  lijulikanalo kama KARIBU ZANZIBAR FASHION FESTIVAL 2016


lililoteka umati wa wadau wa fani hiyo na watu mbalimbali wa ndani na nje ya Zanzibar na mataifa mengine.
Hakika ilifana kutokana na kila mbunifu kuonesha kazi yake iliyobuniwa kwa kiwango cha juu hali iliyoibua shangwe na nderemo kila ‘models’ wanapopita kwenye jukwaa na mavazi hayo ya ubunifu

The most profitable professions in Zanzibar is coconut palms

One of the most profitable professions in Zanzibar is the ownership of a shamba, an area of land covered by coconut palms.  This profession is acquired by Islamic Laws of Inheritance, meaning mostly by men. The men are responsible for hiring people to harvest the coconuts, which are then sold to various markets. Harvesting is done by using small ropes to climb the trees and cut down the fruit.They are known for singing a song about strength while climbing.  I found that most of the shamba owners in that area did little to no planting of trees on their land

However many women also have taken part in the traditional ways of making rope. This job brings a great amount of pride for women as it is very physical. Women bury the coconut husks for a year in mud covered plains, then dig up the husks and beat them until they are broken down into string. The string is then carried home on large bulks to be twisted into rope. This process is shown below:

 A shamba owner hires a man to de-husk the coconuts from his land.

 An elderly member of the village makes a living by using a small piece of rope to climb trees 30-40 ft high to cut down the coconuts.

Upawa - a spoon like tool made from various parts of the coconut.  Made by men, but used more so by women in the Zanzibari kitchen.

A Zanzibari woman digging up her coconut husks from the "desert."  This is the first part of the rope making process, a profession done by women.  The husks are left to soak in the mud for a year to soften.

This is the second part of the rope making process where women beat out the soften husks into thin string.

The final part of the rope making process is done from the home. Women carry back the large piles of string and tie specific types of knots to make strong rope. This rope is used for everything from fishing, packaging, etc.

The Zanzibar Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean

The Zanzibar Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, south of equator and just off the coast of East Africa. There aretwo main islands in the island group, Unguja and Pemba, and in addition some 14 smaller islets. The biggest island of Zanzibar is Unguja, which is located about 40 km east from the coast of Tanzania. Unguja has an area of some 1,600 km². The capital of Unguja and the entire Zanzibar Archipelago is called Zanzibar Town.

The population of Zanzibar is ethnically diverse. Most of the inhabitants are either of African origin or descendants of mixed African and Arabic extraction, and there are also some non-Africans such as Arabs, Asians and Europeans on the Islands. Swahili and English are the two official languages in Zanzibar. Swahili is the dominant language and English is spoken especially in the urban areas. The Islam religion is an important part of the Swahili culture in Zanzibar where more than 99 % of the population are Muslim.

Stone Town also known as Mji Mkongwe, is the old part of Zanzibar City

Stone Town, also known as Mji Mkongwe, is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania.. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar

Stone Town is the main city on Zanzibar. It is a city of prominent historical and artistic importance in East Africa. Its architecture, mostly dating back to the 19th century, reflects the diverse influences underlying the Swahili culture, with a unique mixture of Moorish, Arab, Persian, Indian and European elements. For this reason, the town has been included in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites in 2000