Zanzibar is an island partner within the United Republic of Tanzania, located in the Indian Ocean about 35 km off the coast of mainland Tanzania at six degrees south of the Equator. Zanzibar is made up of many islands, the main two being Unguja (sometimes called Zanzibar) and Pemba. The land is divided into three main areas, the plantation area, the coral rag area and the indigenous forests. The highest point is 390 feet above sea level. The population is estimated at around 1 Million, including Pemba and Mafia islands.
|
|
|
In the southwest of Zanzibar island, near Fumba to the west and Unguja Ukuu to the east, Menai Bay is a sea-turtle breeding area and also encompasses several coral reefs, heaps of marine life and dense mangrove forests. It is also famous for its humpback and bottlenose dolphins. 1996 the government of Zanzibar and the WWF declared it as protected area.
|
|
Zanzibar has lured traders, adventurers, plunderers and explorers to its shores for centuries. The Assyrians, Sumerians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguese, Omani Arabs, Dutch and English have all been here at one time or another. Some, particularly the Shirazi Persians and Omani Arabs, stayed to settle and rule. With this influence, Zanzibar has become predominantly Islamic (97%) - the remaining 3% is made up of Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. The earliest visitors to Zanzibar were Arab traders who are said to have arrived in the 8th century and settled in Unguja Ukuu . The earliest building that remains on Zanzibar is the mosque at Kizimkazi, which dates from 1107, and is a present-day tourist attraction.
For centuries the Arabs sailed with the monsoon winds from Oman to trade primarily in ivory, slaves and spices. The two main islands, Unguja (normally known as Zanzibar Island) and Pemba, provided an ideal base for the Omani Arabs, being relatively small, and therefore fairly easy to defend. Indeed, in 1832, Sultan Seyyid Said, of the Busaid dynasty that had emerged in Oman, moved his Sultanate from Muscat to Zanzibar, perhaps making it easier to protect, where he and his descendants ruled for over 130 years. Most of the wealth lay in the hands of the Arab community, who were the main landowners at that time. They kept themselves to themselves, and generally did not intermarry with the Africans.
This was not true of the Shirazi Persians who came from the Middle East to settle on the East African coast. The story goes that in AD 975, Abi Ben Sultan Hasan of Shiraz in Persia (now Iran) had a terrible nightmare in which a rat devoured the foundations of his house. He took this as an omen that his community was to be devastated. Others in the Shirazi court ridiculed the notion, but Sultan Hasan, his family and some followers obviously took it very seriously and they decided to migrate. They set out in seven dhows into the Indian Ocean but were caught in a huge storm and separated. Thus, landfalls were made at seven different places along the East African coast, one of which was Zanzibar, and settlements began.
No longer very prosperous in the fiscal sense, the island has a wealth of historical monuments to visit which commemorate the African, British and particularly Arab influences- sultan's palaces, cathedrals, mosques, fortresses and old colonial houses. "Spice Tours" are the ideal way to see the island's historic sites and spice plantations. There is also a sanctuary for the rare Zanzibar duiker and the red colobus monkey in the protected Jozani Forest, just twenty-five kilometers from the town. |
|
The main language is Kiswahili. Even if you only use a few words whilst you are in Zanzibar you will make many friends. English is widely spoken and many people also speak Arabic. Other European languages such as French and Italian are known by some local people, especially around the tourist areas.
|
|
|
|
About 97% of the local population is Muslim. The remainder are Hindu or Christian and some with traditional beliefs. As well as many many mosques, Stone Town hosts an Anglican and a Catholic Cathedral and a Hindu Temple.
|
|
Zanzibar, home to taarab, is just the place to loosen those hips and get the toe tapping. Taarab is a style of music that snatches inspiration from African, Arabic and Indian influences, and is so irresistible that it is sometimes credited with fostering a degree of harmony among the volatile islands. Traditional dance, is an energetic and mesmerising way of expressing thanks and praise, marking rites of passage and a means of communicating with ancestors. Tanzanian figurative art was traditionally an important creative outlet, but most of the art you'll see these days may as well be carved in the shape of a tourist.
The population of the Zanzibar Archipelago is almost exclusively Sunni Muslim (Christians comprise barely 1% of the archipelago's population, and there is a small Hindu community). The official languages are Swahili (of which there are three major dialects) and English. Swahili, widely used as a lingua franca in East and Central Africa, originated in Zanzibar and has adopted many words from Arabic. Unguja is the dialect spoken in the Zanzibar Archipelago. The three indigenous ethnic groups in the Zanzibar Archipelago are the Hadimu, Tumbatu and Pemba. The Hadimu are of mixed origin, originating from different parts of the mainland; the Tumbatu live primarily on Tumbatu island and in the northern part of Zanzibar; and the Pemba are on the island of Pemba. The non-African population are primarily Shirazi, descendants of immigrants from Shiraz in Persia (present-day Iran).
One of Zanzibar's most common local dishes is ugali, a staple made from maize or cassava flour, or a mixture of both, and eaten with a sauce usually containing meat, fish, beans or greens. In the Zanzibar Archipelago, traditional Swahili dishes of seafood cooked in coconut milk are ubiquitous. Early in the morning in Zanzibar Town, you may see vendors selling uji, a thin, sweet porridge, as well as bread and hard-boiled eggs. Also look out for mkate wa kumimina, a bread made from batter that is unique to Zanzibar. Surely the most welcoming sight in the morning is a coffee vendor carrying around cups and a piping-hot kettle with coals fastened underneath.
|
|
|
Although Muslim holidays make for heady celebrations in the Zanzibar Archipelago, you may feel like you're fasting even when it's not Ramadan - many restaurants close down during these times. Coinciding with the end of the hajj in February, Eid al-Kebir commemorates God's change of heart: Abraham was about to sacrifice his son as per God's command when the almighty decided, at the last moment, that a ram would do instead. Ramadan, the annual 30-day fast when adherents do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset, and Eid al-Fitr, the feast that marks the end of Ramadan, are also celebrated in style. The precise dates of events, according to the Islamic calendar, are known only shortly before they fall, and depend upon the sighting of the moon.
July is the fashionable month for non-Muslim festivals. Consider lobbing in for the Zanzibar Cultural Festival, held annually around mid-July, the Zanzibar International Film Festival, also held in July, and Mwaka Kogwa (marking the Shirazi New Year or Nairuzim), held in late July.
|
|
|