Sultan Palace museum

The Sultan’s Palace Museum, also known as Beit al Sahel, sits along the Stone Town seafront not far from the House of Wonders. Built in the late nineteenth century, it served as the residence of Zanzibar’s sultans and their families before the revolution of 1964. The building was part of a group of royal palaces that stretched along the waterfront, and it played an important role in the daily life and administration of the Omani rulers who governed the islands.

The palace was constructed on the site of an earlier building that had connections to the ruling Al Said dynasty. Its design followed the style common in Stone Town at the time, with thick coral stone walls, long verandas facing the ocean, and interiors arranged around large halls and private family rooms. The seafront balconies gave the sultans and their families a clear view of the busy harbor, where ships from the Indian Ocean world arrived with goods, visitors, and diplomats.

When the revolution took place in 1964, the royal family fled, and the palace was taken over by the new government. For some years it was used for administrative purposes, but in the 1990s it was restored and opened as a museum to help preserve the history of Zanzibar’s sultans and their way of life.

Today, the Sultan’s Palace Museum offers visitors a look into the private world of the former rulers. Rooms inside display personal belongings of the royal family, including furniture, photographs, and everyday household items. One of the most notable sections tells the story of Princess Salme, also known as Emily Ruete, who wrote a famous memoir about her life in Zanzibar and her journey to Europe.

Visitors can see ceremonial chairs, royal outfits, handwritten letters, and items brought from Arabia and India that show the connections Zanzibar had with the wider world. The museum also explains the political changes that shaped the islands, helping people understand how life shifted from the era of sultans to modern Zanzibar.

Although the building has been renovated over the years, it still keeps its original character, making it one of the most important historical sites in Stone Town.