Stone Town
Stone Town, also known as Mji Mkongwe (Swahili for "old town"), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng'ambo, Swahili for 'the other side'. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Former capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate, and flourishing centre of the spice trade as well as the slave trade in the 19th century, it retained its importance as the main city of Zanzibar during the period of the British protectorate. When Tanganyika and Zanzibar joined each other to form the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar kept a semi-autonomous status, with Stone Town as its local government seat.
Tourism in Zanzibar
Zanzibar's capital is the historical Stone Town, home to much of Zanzibar's tourism industry. It is also a World Heritage Site. The town is home to numerous historical and cultural sites, including Makusurani graveyard (where many of the islands previous Arab rulers are buried), House of Wonders (a four story building which was the first place on the islands with electrical lights), Hamamni and Kidichi Persian Baths (the first public baths on the island), Dunga Ruins (Ruins of a palace built in the 15th century by the rulers of the time), and the Peace Memorial Museum, which serves a national historical museum detailing the island's long history.