Historic Site · Zanzibar City, Tanzania
Stone Town, Zanzibar
The Stone Town of Zanzibar (Arabic: مدينة زنجبار الحجرية, romanized: madīnat Zanjibār al-ḥajariyya), also known as Mji Mkongwe (Swahili for 'old town'), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mbz1 assumed (based on copyright claims) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Zanzibar City, Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Area | Area: 0.96 km² |
| Coordinates | 6.1624° S, 39.1913° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Stone Town, Zanzibar is known for
The Stone Town of Zanzibar (Arabic: مدينة زنجبار الحجرية, romanized: madīnat Zanjibār al-ḥajariyya), also known as Mji Mkongwe (Swahili for 'old town'), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania.
About Stone Town, Zanzibar
The Stone Town of Zanzibar (Arabic: مدينة زنجبار الحجرية, romanized: madīnat Zanjibār al-ḥajariyya), also known as Mji Mkongwe (Swahili for 'old town'), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng'ambo, Swahili for 'the other side'. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago.
History
A Greco-Roman text between the 1st and 3rd centuries, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, mentioned the island of Menuthias, which is probably Unguja. Zanzibar, like the nearby coast, was settled by Bantu-speakers at the outset of the first millennium. Archaeological finds at Fukuchani, on the north-west coast of Zanzibar, indicate a settled agricultural and fishing community from the 6th century CE at the latest.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) |
| Distance from the airport | 4.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) · Zanzibar, Tanzania · 4.7 miles away
- Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) · Dar es Salaam, Tanzania · 49.1 miles away
- Moi International Airport (MBA) · Mombasa, Kenya · 149.6 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Tanzania
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Stone Town, Zanzibar?
The Stone Town of Zanzibar (Arabic: مدينة زنجبار الحجرية, romanized: madīnat Zanjibār al-ḥajariyya), also known as Mji Mkongwe (Swahili for 'old town'), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania.
Where is Stone Town, Zanzibar located?
Stone Town, Zanzibar is in Zanzibar City, Tanzania. Its coordinates are 6.1624° S, 39.1913° E.
How do I get to Stone Town, Zanzibar?
The nearest town is Zanzibar City, and the nearest airport is Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ), about 4.4 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Stone Town, Zanzibar?
A Greco-Roman text between the 1st and 3rd centuries, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, mentioned the island of Menuthias, which is probably Unguja. Zanzibar, like the nearby coast, was settled by Bantu-speakers at the outset of the first millennium.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Town — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q844417 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.