Zanzibar
The name Zanzibar is derived from a combination of two Arabic words, 'Zinj', meaning black, and 'barr', being the Arabic word for land,
resulting in the ancient title 'Land of the Blacks'.
As Zanzibar absorbed peoples from as far as The Orient and Iberia, Assyria and India, so the tapestry of Zanzibar cultures became
more diverse in its range, more unique in its expression.
Zanzibar is the birthplace of Swahili, a lingua franca forged from global dialects, upon which legends were carried,
trade routes opened and a Sultan’s empire prospered.
The strident laments and exultant overtures of Swahili taarab were born, their rhythms and melodies carried and honed between
Zanzibar and the Arabian Gulf until they became the sounds of the islands’ own musical narrative.
The architectural styles of Stone Town were borne of the social convergence, while the tangled mass of stories,
woven from centuries of lives lived, bestow a folklore and legacy that permeate life on the archipelago.
Zanzibar is a small archipelago consisting of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar Island), Pemba and several small surrounding islands.
It is located in the Indian ocean, just off the coast of East Africa, lying at 39 degrees East of the prime meridian and 6 degrees south of the equator.
The islands have a total of 2,332 square kilometres.
resulting in the ancient title 'Land of the Blacks'.
As Zanzibar absorbed peoples from as far as The Orient and Iberia, Assyria and India, so the tapestry of Zanzibar cultures became
more diverse in its range, more unique in its expression.
Zanzibar is the birthplace of Swahili, a lingua franca forged from global dialects, upon which legends were carried,
trade routes opened and a Sultan’s empire prospered.
The strident laments and exultant overtures of Swahili taarab were born, their rhythms and melodies carried and honed between
Zanzibar and the Arabian Gulf until they became the sounds of the islands’ own musical narrative.
The architectural styles of Stone Town were borne of the social convergence, while the tangled mass of stories,
woven from centuries of lives lived, bestow a folklore and legacy that permeate life on the archipelago.
Zanzibar is a small archipelago consisting of Unguja (commonly referred to as Zanzibar Island), Pemba and several small surrounding islands.
It is located in the Indian ocean, just off the coast of East Africa, lying at 39 degrees East of the prime meridian and 6 degrees south of the equator.
The islands have a total of 2,332 square kilometres.
