the Darajani Market of Stonetown, Zanzibar

The Darajani Market in Stonetown, Zanzibar is historical. It is located a stone’s throw from the city’s biggest market of another kind, that which traded slaves. Darajani however was opened in 1904, a quarter of a century since slave markets were outlawed in 1873.


a fresh fruit stall in Darajani Market, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania



squid and octopus for sale


Today, the market looks unassuming and humble. Blocks of soft gray stones still form the solid façade. The roof is comprised of GI sheets that are partially rusted. A finial sticks out at the roof’s highest peak which from a distance, almost makes the market resemble a church.


the stone façade of Darajani



vegetables being sold in front of the market



a Masai man passing through


Inside, the market is divided into four sections. There is quarter for seafood, from the popular octopus to crabs and fishes of various sizes. The walls are as red with blood as the floor is dark with hardened muck. One room is used for auction, which take place early in the morning.


fillet of fish on display



the fish section of the market



a room used for the fish auction


Another hall is for meat, primarily beef. Butchered blocks are displayed everywhere here, and carcasses are left hanging on hook for easy perusal. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim so pork is virtually forbidden in Darajani (they say you have to go Christian mission for that).


beef slices for sale


the beef market


Outside of the main building, stalls shaded by plastic tarps offer fruits, vegetables and spices. In another section is poultry. In the periphery, and deeper into the town are more stores and buildings that offer dry goods, from clothings to shoes and even jewelry.


fresh local produce like bananas



a selection of fruit



eggplants and chilies provide a clash of colors


Amidst the cacophony of sales negotiations and the din of clanging buckets, the market moves in a chaotic rhythm of its own. A hubbub of life swirls inside. As tourists click and jostle for that snapshot of local color, locals imperturbably go by their own way. As a Filipino, I’m used to this. The stench, the mud, the noise are a reminder of home, in a good and oddly ,assuring way.


packets of spices catering to the tourists


To go: Daranjani Market is in Creek Road, north of New Mkunazini St., Stone Town, Zanzibar. It is near the Anglican Cathedral.

revisiting the filigree house in Zanzibar

My first camera in 2002 was a point and shoot with what is now a severely limited memory of 16MB. No wonder then that my early posts on Zanzibar were grainy. So when I went back in November 2005 with a dSLR, I had to try to recapture the scenes that struck me as glorious before. Expectedly, they captivated me once more.


a house at the Kelele Slave Market Square, Stonetown, Zanzibar, East Africa, taken January 28, 2002
Olympus C900Z/D400Z, 1/136s, f/4.4, ISO 100


Take the balcony facing the old Kelele Slave Market Square at Shangani St, Stonetown for instance. A witness of the infamously torturous history of the island which served as the premier slave trading post of East Africa in the 16th to the 19th century, this building remains a wonder of fusion. The floral fretwork is an achievement of both Indian and Swahili workmanship but with a strong hint of Arabic tessallation. Under the directionally horizontal light of the setting sun, the balcony’s wooden lace scrollwork gave out shadows that are nothing short of entertaining.


the same house, taken November 9, 2005
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/320s, f/5.6, 49mm, ISO 400

the Doors of Zanzibar

There are a few cities in the world with a concentration of antique wooden doors like Stonetown, Zanzibar. The doors are elaborate carved from hardwood, typically fashioned with nail-less joinery, and decorated with studs and bosses of iron or brass.

A fusion of Swahili, Omani and Indian styles, these portals have become the indelible symbol of Stonetown, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Distinctively Omani are the flat lintels while the Indians prefer semi-circular ones. Another Indian derivitave are the brass studs which first functioned as spike deterrents against elephants during clan wars in the Indian subcontinent. Symbolim is heavy. Oriental symbols for prosperity are the carvings of lotus and rosettes. Most favored of the decorations though are Islamic in nature, as shown by Arabic inscriptions from the.

When in Stonetown, photographing these antique wooden doors became one of my favorite past-times. I even consider myself lucky having purchased a rare copy of the Doors of Zanzibar, as photographed by Uwe Rawu and written by Mwalim Mwalim. A veritable guidebook for door lovers like me, it lays out a map of some 200 heritage portals in Stonetown.

Here are a few glimpses of these cultural gems:

This door could be of a native Swahili Muslim home. The flat lintels (crossbeam across the top of the door) are Omani architectural preferences. The Arabic inscription above the door can still be deciphered.




Tanzania is lucky to still have forests of hardwood. This door is new as the hotel was built in the 1990s. But the materials they used were impressive- solid thick close-grained rosewood.




The filigree of the doorpost and lintel is crumbling with age and the door is weather-beaten. But finally I found a door that is open! Feels voyeuristic having a peek inside. The inscription on the building showed the year the house was built.




This white door, rickety as it is, retains a charm that is wholly Zanzibar. Obviously constructed from heavy hardwood, it has a Koranic carving on the lintel which I most unfortunately cropped (alas!). The locks and studs and the intricate carving evoke the time when slaves used to be traded in this historic East African island port.




This is another door which has a plaque in Arabic. The repetitive lotus design is Oriental style.




Below is one of my favorite doors, with an elegant symmetry and delicate filigree carvings.




Restoration funds, like in any third world country, are wanting in Zanzibar so many doors are in need of upkeep. Some of the doors even have missing brass studs. Replacements are expensive. I asked and the large traditional ones are about $10-20 each, depending on design.




One building which has real massive doors is the Beit el-Ajaib or literally the House of Wonders is a truly remarkable building which is now more than 100 years old. It started as a ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash which boasted of the first electric light and elevator in the island. Now a National Museum, it is one of the largest buildings in Zanzibar.

Its main door bears a rather English-looking coat of arms, which probably was the seal of the sultan of Oman.