Conservation and community: The contradictions and ambiguities of tourism in the stone town of Zanzibar

Habitat International

Volumn 20, Issue 2, 1996, Pages 265-278

  Marks, Rafael ^a  

^a NONE   (South Africa)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION; CONSERVATION PLANNING; DEVELOPING COUNTRY; TOURISM DEVELOPMENT; URBAN CONSERVATION; URBAN RENOVATION;

TANZANIA, ZANZIBAR, STONE TOWN;

EID: 0030473176     PISSN: 01973975     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/0197-3975(95)00062-3     Document Type: Article

References (32)

1. COLE, National Land Use Plan (Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and Commission for Land and Environment, October 1994).
2. Mwalim Ali Mwalim, Trade, Tourism and Heritage Preservation (Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies, Rotterdam, 1992).
3. During the 19th century many travellers referred to Zanzibar town in none too complementary terms. Burton in 1857 described the town as "a filthy labyrinth" (A. Sheriff, Slaves, Spices and Ivory in Zanzibar (James Currey, London, 1987), p. 149.) and Livingstone referred to the place as Stinkibar, remarking that "the stench at night is so gross or crass one might cut out a slice and manure the garden with it". Dr Christie, a British physician, wrote in 1869 that "the lanes leading to the shore become impassable to any but natives, from deposits of filth and rubbish" (quoted in C. Miller, Lunatic Express (Macmillan, London, 1971), p. 41.
4. During the 19th century many travellers referred to Zanzibar town in none too complementary terms. Burton in 1857 described the town as "a filthy labyrinth" (A. Sheriff, Slaves, Spices and Ivory in Zanzibar (James Currey, London, 1987), p. 149.) and Livingstone referred to the place as Stinkibar, remarking that "the stench at night is so gross or crass one might cut out a slice and manure the garden with it". Dr Christie, a British physician, wrote in 1869 that "the lanes leading to the shore become impassable to any but natives, from deposits of filth and rubbish" (quoted in C. Miller, Lunatic Express (Macmillan, London, 1971), p. 41.
5. Habitat/UNCHS, The Stone Town of Zanzibar - A Strategy for Development (1983); AKTC/MWCELE, Zanzibar Stone Town Conservation Plan, joint project between Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Ministry of Water, Construction, Energy, Lands and Environment (Zanzibar, December 1993).
6. Habitat/UNCHS, The Stone Town of Zanzibar - A Strategy for Development (1983); AKTC/MWCELE, Zanzibar Stone Town Conservation Plan, joint project between Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Ministry of Water, Construction, Energy, Lands and Environment (Zanzibar, December 1993).
7. AKTC/MWCELE (December 1993), see note 4.
8. FINNIDA is also funding an island-wide land survey and land tenure regularisation programme which indirectly affects the Stone Town.
9. United Nations Capital Development Fund.
10. This palace was once one of the many palaces of the Sultan.
11. This late 19th century palace is also called the 'House of Wonders', originally so-called on account of its size and grandiosity.
12. AKTC/MWCELE (December 1993), see note 4.
13. A. Walls, "The Revitalisation of the Old Stone Town of Zanzibar", paper presented to the International Conference on the History and Culture of Zanzibar, Zanzibar, 14-16 December 1992.
14. H.B. Mshindo, "Zanzibar Culture: Past, Present and Future", paper presented to the International Conference on the History and Culture of Zanzibar, Zanzibar, 14-16 December 1992.
15. E.F. Meffert, "Will Zanzibar Stone Town Survive", paper presented to the International Conference on the History and Culture of Zanzibar, Zanzibar, 14-16 December 1992.
16. Walls (1992), see note 11.
17. AKTC/MWCELE (December 1993), see note 4.
18. B. Bissell, personal communication.
19. March 1995 prices.
20. Stone benches traditionally found on the outside of buildings, and often in the first entrance room of Arab houses.
21. The investors were already contributing to a proposed Free Trade Port to the south of the town and having "fallen in love" with the Stone Town wanted to "do something good" for the place.
22. Personal discussion between author. STCDA director and Canadian investors, May 1994.
23. Quoted by B. Bissell, personal communication.
24. This stands for Chama Cha Mapinduzi, which means 'the party of the revolution' in Kiswahili.
25. B. Bissell, personal communication.
26. S.S. Townsend, "Architectural and Urban Conservation in the Dawning Second Republic", Architecture SA (May/June 1993).
27. Townsend (1993), see note 24.
28. M. Atwell, Annexure 3 of Cape Town City Planner's submission to the National Monuments Council workshop series on Future Directions for Heritage (1994).
29. Fundi is Kiswahili for a craftsperson.
30. Indeed, the situation of illegal building and land encroachment is equally serious in the rest of the town and beyond. Even formal public housing, built with foreign assistance, remains the preserve of the well connected. A new Chinese-built housing estate on the Mombasa Road on the edge of town is one such example.
31. However, imminent elections towards the end of 1995 have opened up other spaces of negotiation. For example, in order to gain votes, the government wants to be seen to be helping the poor, by, e.g. allowing them to help themselves to improve their own housing.
32. For example, the residents of one building, the 'Khoja Charitable Caravanserai', described the building and its community as a 'small village'. Whenever there is an important decision to be made. Such as when their electricity was cut off, they gather in the courtyard to discuss the problems and issues.