High Resolution JPEG Picture of This was the first Anglican cathedral in East Africa, constructed in the 1870s by the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) on the site of the former slave market after slavery was officially abolished. Stone Town means "old town" in Swahili and is the oldest part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. Its architecture, mostly dating back to the 19th century, reflects the diverse influences underlying the Swahili culture, giving a unique mixture of Arab, Persian, Indian and European elements. For this reason, the town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The centre under restauration is maze of narrow alleys lined by houses, shops, bazaars and mosques. Traditional buildings have a baraza, a long stone bench along the outside walls; this is used as an elevated sidewalk if heavy rains make the streets impracticable, or otherwise as benches to sit down, rest, socialize. A key feature of most buildings is large verandas protected by carved wooden balustrades. But the most famous feature of Zanzibari houses are the finely decorated wooden doors, with rich carvings and bas-reliefs, sometimes with big brass studs of Indian tradition. Two main types of doors can be distinguished: Indian style with rounded topsand Omani Arab style more rectangular. [892180908] stock photo
