The House of Wonders

The House of Wonders, or Beit al-Ajaib, is one of the most recognizable buildings in Stone Town, standing along the seafront and facing the lively Forodhani Gardens. Built in 1883 for Sultan Barghash bin Said, it was designed as a palace and a place for official ceremonies.

It earned its name because it was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and the first in East Africa to have an elevator. Its design combined local materials, like coral stone and mangrove wood, with modern techniques such as iron columns and high ceilings. Covered passages called wikios connected the House of Wonders to nearby palaces, allowing members of the royal family to move around privately. Some doors of the House of Wonders were carved with inscriptions from the Quran, while floors and decorations imported from Europe.

Over the years, the building has changed. It survived the 1896 Anglo-Zanzibar War, and it was later used as government offices under the British, and after the 1964 revolution it was used as  a school and then a museum. Today, visitors can explore exhibits showing Zanzibari and Swahili culture, including traditional boats, fishing tools, ceremonial clothing, portraits of sultans, and furniture from the royal palaces.

Even with challenges over the years the House of Wonders remains a symbol of Zanzibar culture and continues to be one of the city’s most important landmarks.