Situated off the coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar features many examples of Swahili architecture, but after years of neglect many of the buildings in its World Heritage Site (WHS) ‘Stone Town’ are crumbling, so a BBC picture-feature highlights the efforts and benefits of their pro-active conservation as part of the Zanzibar Built Heritage Job Creation project.
BBC news reports:
… a small group of local artisans is fighting to bring back the traditional skills and knowledge needed to preserve these buildings.
Stone Town, the historical part of Zanzibar’s capital, was listed as a cultural World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in 2000. However, its buildings have been affected by a growing population, increased traffic and the tropical climate of the island. The use of concrete for repairs, instead of traditional sand and lime mortar, has exacerbated the decline of many buildings such as the palace of Mtoni.
Students of the Zanzibar Built Heritage Job Creation project, which aims to resurrect the traditional skills needed to restore the buildings, have been trained in carpentry and masonry. Omar
Yussuf Abdallah, 38, says: ‘This training will give me a salary and help my life. It will help me to teach others how to protect our culture and Stone Town’s doors.’
A mix of old lime-washed, coralline ragstone and more modern, concrete buildings, Stone Town’s skyline now has a more certain future.
