Department of Museums and Antiquities - Zanzibar

15/11/2015

Art exhibition at Peace Memorial Museum

04/02/2014

07/12/2012

House of Wonders (NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ZANZIBAR)

21/11/2012

Excavation work at Unguja Ukuu in Zanziabr with Prof. Mark Horton of Oxford University in 2011

16/11/2012

Prof. Mark Horton of Oxford University giving instructions at Excavation in 2011 at Fukuchani Zanzibar, others are Dr. Alison Crowther and Ania Kotarba

17/10/2012

contact us
website www.zanzibarmuseums-antiquieties.info
email. [email protected]

04/09/2012

Tourists visiting House of Wonders Zanzibar

04/09/2012

College students learning how to document museum objects at How of Wonders

23/05/2012

Exhibit in Museum of Natural History at Mnazi Mmoja - Zanzibar

welcome and visit our museum

23/05/2012

One among of exhibits in the Museum of Natural History at Mnazi Mmoja - Zanzibar

visit our museum

18/05/2012

Pemba Museum

Pemba Museum is located at Chake Chake in the central part of the island of Pemba. The museum is located at the former Portuguese barrack which was constructed around 16th century AD. Later from the early 17th century, after the evacuation of Portuguese in East Africa, the longest established Mazrui Arabs from Oman transformed the barrack into a fort. From the early 19th century, the old Mazrui Fort came into the hands of the Busaidy Oman Arabs who took possession of the islands of Unguja and Pemba. During the whole period of the 19th century, the Fort housed office of the Liwali or District Officer of Pemba South. From 1897, after the abolition of the institution of slavery, the Old Mazrui Fort was transformed into a jail until the late colonial era. In 2005, the Zanzibar Government converted the Old Mazrui Fort into a museum which shows the history and culture of Pemba Island. The museum outlines the rise and fall of ancient towns of the island such as the 8th century Chwaka and Mtambwe. The other ancient towns were Qanbalu which emerged during 10th century AD. Pujini was a great town during 14th century AD. The museum also shows the history of other local rulers in Pemba before colonial occupation. It includes a history of ‘Diwanis.’ The more prominent Diwanis were Mkamandume and Ngwachani who ruled a vast area of the Pemba Island. The great part of the museum portrays cultural aspects including welcoming structure of an ordinary Swahili house, in-house components and services like living room (sable), toilet (maliwato) and kitchen (ua). Each of these sections and even items are full of intrinsic meanings, some of them not worth saying in public. The last but not least part is a section of day today life like healing by using herbs and spirits. Near the end of this part, there are sections on sports and games. Also, there is a section on rite of passage, that shows how the inborn is welcomed, taken care of during his gradual stages of growth to death.

www.zanzibarmuseums-atiquities.info

18/05/2012

The House Of Wonders
The House of Wonders, or Beit el Ajaib was built in the 1880s by Sultan Baraghash as a ceremonial palace where a number of Sultan were crowned. It was later used as a residential palace by two sultans after the bombardment of 1896. The building has unique architecture combining Swahili, Arab, Indian and European styles. Some of its amenities, including electricity, exquisite carved doors, and later a lift were the first in Sub- Saharan Africa.. Between 1913 and 1963, the building became the seat of government administration. After the 1964 Revolution it was converted into a party college and a museum for the ruling party (ASP/CCM). In 2002, the building was officially opened as a Zanzibar National Museum of Culture and History.