Summary - Visit to Several Museums on the Spice Islands of Zanzibar

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1 Summary - Visit to Several Museums on the Spice Islands of Zanzibar By Helen C. Broadus, Docent at the National Museum of African Art Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Zanzibar and was completely amazed to learn about the rich culture and history of this famous epi-center of the Swahili coastal region of Africa. Zanzibar is famously known for its art, festivals, culture and treasures, spices and Swahili hospitality. Zanzibar, the name itself conjuring up a mystical and romantic image, is popularly known as the Spice Islands and is located about thirty kilometers off of the coast of mainland Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar enchants and beguiles with its oriental mystique and forgotten exoticism the very name evokes the Spice Islands and the dhow trade, sultans and palaces built of limestone and corals against the palm trees and coastal surf. Pictured above are three young Zanzabari girls on their way to school in Stone Town. The people of Zanzibar share a diverse multi-culture of African, Arab, Indian and Chinese. Zanzibar saw the growth and survival of Swahili civilization and trade until the mid-twentieth century. Zanzibar was incorporated into the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964 and has a democratically elected president and government that run the internal affairs of the islands. The capital of Zanzibar is Zanzibar City and its historic center is Stone Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Zanzibar is also the world s oldest functioning Swahili city. Zanzibar has seen an influx from the British, Dutch, Portuguese, Egyptian, Phoenicians, Assyrians, Indians, Chinese, Persians, Arabs and Sumerians a number of times in its history. The earliest visitors to Zanzibar were in the 8 th century when the Arab traders arrived. The name Swahili comes from the Arab word sawahil which means coast. Portuguese invasion and control of the Swahili Coast in the late 16 th century ended the golden age of the archipelago, although the Omani Arabs returned to power less than a century later. Sayyid Said, the great Bu Saidi ruler, took a great interest in East Africa and in 1841 permanently relocated his capital 1

2 from Muscat, in Oman, to Zanzibar. He brought with him many Arabs, who settled in Zanzibar. The Arabs eventually established caravan routes all along the East African coastline trading mainly in slaves and ivory. Zanzibar is known to have the largest number of carved doors in East Africa. The tradition of carved doors was brought to Zanzibar by India and these doors are often adorned with images of cloves or flowery designs and sometimes animals. Later the Arabs incorporated their own design by adding Arabic messages of the Koran along the perimeter of the carved doors. Stone Town also has fifty mosques and four Hindu temples with Zanzibar s oldest remaining building an 11 th century mosque at Kizimkazi. The House of Wonders is Stone Town s oldest existing building and the first building in East Africa to have electricity, running water and an elevator! In 1987, the Stone Town Conservation Authority was created to provide strict guidelines for architectural design and materials used in all renovations of public and privately-owned buildings. Zanzibar is now focusing on promoting its many year round festivals showcasing the diverse cultures and history of Tanzania s Swahili coastal islands. Today, many of the winding streets and high towers of old Stone Town remain unchanged and visitors can walk between the sultans palace, the House of Wonders, the Portuguese and Arab forts and gardens, the merchant houses and the Turkish baths of the old city. The concept of a museum has existed in Zanzibar from the beginning of its history and culture as there is an old saying amongst the people of Zanzibar that: the soul of the ancestors is more powerful than that of the living. This is why most Swahili people respect the memories of their ancestors who lived there such a long time ago. They have managed a sense of order necessary to keep certain objects from generation to generation. While the common definition of a museum is a building designed for keeping old objects, many Swahili people keep their treasured items as family heirlooms out of respect for their ancestors. An increasing awareness of the importance of museums was instituted in Zanzibar during the period of British rule under several Sultans of Afro-Omani ancestry. Government funds and contributions from all sectors of society resulted in the opening of the first museum in It was named the Peace Memorial Museum and remained as the only museum in Zanzibar for more than fifty years. Later, a diversification program demanded more museums concentrating on specific areas of interest; and the results yielded the National Museum of History and the Palace Museum. Furthermore, the House of Wonders renamed the National Museum of History and Culture was also established. 2

3 Pictured above: Photograph on the left depicts the old Portuguese fort in the foreground and the House of Wonders in the background and photograph on the right shows Helen and David standing at the entrance to the House of Wonders which has the largest carved door in the world. Peace Memorial Museum is a great attraction for visitors to Stone Town. It has a big central dome surrounded by six smaller domes, ranking it as one of Zanzibar s architectural highlights. Seyyid Khalifa b. Haroub, the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1925 opened the Museum and called it Beit al-amaan, an Arabic term meaning House of Peace. The Museum has a collection of themes focusing on arts and handicrafts, history, politics, agriculture and religion. Household utensils of copper, china and clay, male and female traditional attire, models of boats made of carved timber provides an impressive awareness of both the history and culture of Zanzibar. Also there are works of iron, silver and gold as well as models of dugout boats, personal possessions of missionaries and explorers, slave traders and traditional chiefs to explore. Overall, it provides a good representation of how the people of Zanzibar looked and acted over the centuries. The Palace Museum was opened in 1994 in what had once been a palace of Sultan Seyyid Said b. Sultan, who was the Sultan of Zanzibar and Oman from when these two countries, on different continents, were merged into one country with Zanzibar as its capital. Built in 1828 and known as Beit al-sahel meaning House by the Shore it has two levels with many large rooms designed to accommodate a big royal family. The Palace Museum reveals and explains the century s long connection between Zanzibar and Oman, and to make the people (both local and foreign) aware of the lifestyle of these sultans and their role in building modern Zanzibar. The upper floor of the Museum was used as the Sultan s family living quarters and the middle floor was used for official meetings and affairs. The thrones and furniture of the sultans of different periods are displayed with several life-sized portraits of some of the sultans painted by European artists. 3

4 Pictured above on the left is a portrait of the Sultan Seyyid Said b. Sultan and on the right is a view of the Indian Ocean from the balcony of the Sultan s living quarters. The Museum of History and Culture was famously known as the House of Wonders. It was called the House of Wonders because it was the first building in Africa to have electricity, indoor plumbing and even an elevator! The Museum is designed to showcase the whole Swahili Coast from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique because it constitutes the full measure of this cultural region. Over the past five decades, a considerable amount of archaeological and historical research has been conducted to reveal a very long and rich history that has been systematically exhibited. The museum is designed to highlight the historical and cultural consequences of a melting pot along the East African coast between the continental world of Africa and the maritime world of the Indian Ocean. The House of Wonders was built in the 1880s as a ceremonial palace by the Sultan to resemble an Omani mansion and external verandas were added supported by cast iron pillars. It has thirteen Indian inspired carved doors with semi-circular lintels with arial motifs and gilded Islamic inscriptions. Most of the House of Wonders is in great need of repair and renovation work and unfortunately it is closed to visitors due to safety concerns. Nevertheless, it contains a very impressive amount of knowledge and exhibits that have spurred my interest in learning much more about the people of Zanzibar and the rich legacy of the Swahili culture and mystique. One of the curious things that can engage the visitors attention during a Stone Town Tour is the remarkable beauty of the carved doors and chests common to every household with each one appearing to compete with its neighbors. The carved doors of the East African Coast, variously described as Swahili, Arab and Zanzibar, represents variants with ancient and widespread tradition on the western Indian Ocean. The introduction of carved doors at a larger scale on the Island of Zanzibar is attributed to Sultan Barghash bin Said, the builder of palaces including the House of Wonders. Over time the carved doors of the Sultan s residences spread to ordinary households with the scripted texts of the Qur an augmented as an indicator of status and wealth. High quality doors are carved out of mvule (teak) wood while the medium quality doors are of jack fruit wood and other kinds of soft wood which are indigenous to the islands. 4

5 Technically, there are two types of carved doors in Zanzibar, namely a typical door and that of Indian origin. While a typical Zanzibar door is divided into two parts, set in a square frame, the Indian doors have delicately carved arched tops. Besides, the Indian workmanship is easily distinguishable from Zanzibar by their more florid but less dignified style of decorative carving. The carvings on the doors have different patterns which symbolize certain attributes which the homeowners would also wish to convey. Likewise, the carved wooden chests as well as other furniture items are not only symbolic artistic pieces but they have potential value to tourists as memories of their experiences in Zanzibar. The East African Slave Museum is the repository of the East African Slave Trade Exhibit and was built on the grounds of Christ Church Cathedral in Stone Town. The East African Slave Trade occurred between 1809 and 1909 and the cathedral stands on the grounds of one of the largest and most notorious slave markets in East Africa. This exhibit was created to commemorate the abolition of slavery and preserve the legacy of those individuals who were brought there to be sold into slavery. In the mid-19 th century, Zanzibar streets were teeming with slaves accounting for more than two-thirds of the entire population. Slavery had always been a component of trade in the East Africa society. During the 19 th century, the slavery trade grew into a highly lucrative business conducted by Europeans, Indians, Arabs, coastal people and ethnic leaders on the African continent. By 1860, residents of Zanzibar from all levels of society were benefiting from the continued growth of the slave-based economy. Pictured above on the left is the commemoration plaque describing the Slave Chamber and pictured on the right is the East African Slave Trade Memorial. This was truly an emotional experience for me to see. Slavery in East Africa and the Indian Ocean nations continued unabated and Zanzibar was at the epi-center of operations. It was another fifty years before the abolition of the slave trade in East Africa was decreed by the Island s Oman Sultanate in Still, slavery as an institution persisted in Zanzibar until 1909! This is still recent history as the mixture of people ultimately enriched its culture, but painful memories endure as a legacy, both positive and negative. 5

6 Slaves and ivory were supplied from the interior of Africa from a range of people. In some instances, slaves were sent to serve in Asia and Oman as eunuchs of the Caliph Ottoman Empire. Those that survived having their genitals removed were posted as guards in harems and considered a symbol of wealth, power and extravagance. Many eunuchs were well educated and served in both government and the military. Female slaves were often placed into harems as concubines of the Sultan. If they were childless, they were easily discarded or sold again into slavery. During my tour of the Slave Museum, I learned that William Wilberforce ( ) was an English politician and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. He headed up the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for twenty years until the eventual passage of the Slave Trade Act of In addition, Olaudal Equano ( ) was a freed slave who took part in the British movement to end the slave trade. His autobiography was the first known slave narrative depicting the horrors of slavery and greatly aided in the passage of the British Slave Act of 1807 that abolished the African slave trade. Lastly, David Livingstone was celebrated for his adventures as an explorer but was more famous for inspiring large numbers of missionaries to go to Africa and for giving huge momentum to the abolitionist movement. Dr. Livingston, as a missionary, is fondly remembered for his commitment to education, medicine and his stance against the Slave Trade in East Africa. In conclusion, my visits to these museums in Zanzibar provided me with not only a wealth of information about the rich history and culture of the Zanzibar people but it has also inspired me to conduct further research on the unique relationship between the indigenous people of East Africa and the Arabs of Oman. About the author: Helen C. Broadus has been a docent at the National Museum of African Art since She is the President of Venue International Professionals, Inc. - which is a full-service travel and tourism company that specializes on the African Continent. Since 1997, she has visited thirty African countries many times over and enjoys combining her many travel adventures with an appreciation and education of African artworks, handicrafts and textiles wherever she journeys on the African continent. Pictured above is a beautiful wooden Zanzibar chest carved in the traditional style with brass overlay The craftsmanship is passed down from father to son and is a treasured possession of each family. 6