Tourism in Zanzibar
The islands of Zanzibar are located about 40 kilometers from the African continent, in the shallow coastal waters of the Indian Ocean. As the remnant of an economic center of the Omani Empire, which attained its climax in the middle of the 19th century, Zanzibar today boasts a culture and history closely linked with its historic events: Shirazi, Persian and Omani settlers, Indian and Arabian architecture, spicy dishes, slave caves, and historical figures such as Speke, Livingston and Tipu Tipp have all left their marks. Everywhere on the island, mementos of this past can be seen and are recounted in tales of myth and reality passed down from one generation to the next. Furthermore, the abundance of unique marine and terrestrial fauna and flora make Zanzibar an ideal destination for enthusiasts of tropical island ecosystems. It is perhaps the clove tree, which was introduced to the Zanzibar islands in the 1820s and culminated into a rapidly expanding trade that won Zanzibar its ultimate economic power and popularity. Until today, the name “Spice Islands“ refers to this capital of Swahili culture which is observed along the coast of East Africa. The distinguished mixture of cultures, professions and religions have in the course of time contributed to the metropolitan characteristic typical to this region, and is especially vivid on the islands of Lamu, Mafia and Zanzibar.
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| Format: | Theses and Dissertations biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2003
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| Subjects: | Tourism, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/344 |
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| Summary: | The islands of Zanzibar are located about 40 kilometers from the African continent, in the shallow
coastal waters of the Indian Ocean. As the remnant of an economic center of the Omani Empire,
which attained its climax in the middle of the 19th century, Zanzibar today boasts a culture and
history closely linked with its historic events: Shirazi, Persian and Omani settlers, Indian and
Arabian architecture, spicy dishes, slave caves, and historical figures such as Speke, Livingston
and Tipu Tipp have all left their marks. Everywhere on the island, mementos of this past can be
seen and are recounted in tales of myth and reality passed down from one generation to the next.
Furthermore, the abundance of unique marine and terrestrial fauna and flora make Zanzibar an
ideal destination for enthusiasts of tropical island ecosystems. It is perhaps the clove tree, which
was introduced to the Zanzibar islands in the 1820s and culminated into a rapidly expanding trade
that won Zanzibar its ultimate economic power and popularity. Until today, the name “Spice
Islands“ refers to this capital of Swahili culture which is observed along the coast of East Africa.
The distinguished mixture of cultures, professions and religions have in the course of time
contributed to the metropolitan characteristic typical to this region, and is especially vivid on the
islands of Lamu, Mafia and Zanzibar. |
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