State House

Zanzibar Town


Zanzibar's presidential palace was originally designed by British architect John Sinclair as the British Residency in 1903. Today it is not open to visitors, and it's forbidden to take photographs in the vicinity. The road in front of State House is closed to motor traffic.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Zanzibar Town attractions

1. Victoria Hall & Gardens

0.1 MILES

Sitting quietly on Kaunda Rd, surrounded by decaying and overgrown gardens, Victoria Hall housed the legislative council during the British era. It's now…

2. Beit el-Amani

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This domed building, formerly the Peace Memorial Museum and now an archive, dates to 1925, when it was inaugurated as a memorial to the accords ending WWI…

4. Catholic Cathedral

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One of the first sights travellers see when arriving by ferry are the twin spires of the Roman Catholic cathedral. Serving the local Catholic community,…

5. Mercury House

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Freddie Mercury, the former lead singer of Queen, was born in Zanzibar in 1946 where his name was Farrokh Bulsara. His father worked for the British…

6. Hamamni Persian Baths

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Built by Sultan Barghash in the late 19th century, these were the first public baths on Zanzibar. The various rooms were renovated in 2017 and, although…

7. Anglican Cathedral

0.38 MILES

The tall spire and grey-yellow walls of the Anglican cathedral dominate the surrounding streets in this part of Stone Town, while the dark-wood pews and…

8. Old Fort

0.4 MILES

With its pale-orange ramparts overlooking Forodhani Gardens and the ocean beyond, the fort was built by Omani Arabs when they seized the island from the…

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