Doors of Zanzibar

One thing any tourist visiting Zanzibar will notice is the intricate and extremely ornate doors into many of the buildings. Whilst much of Stone Town has suffered from neglect since the revolution in 1964, there are still a number of the traditional doors. Many of which are over 150 years old and last for such a length of time because of the hardwoods they are made from (some are made from sesame imported from as far away as India and are perhaps the source of Ali Baba’s “Open Sesame”). Residential doors tend to be the most elaborate. They’re often divided into two panels, one on the right for men (mlango mdume) and a smaller panel on the left for women (mlango jika).

Example of a Zanzibar door

Example of a Zanzibar door

Example of a Zanzibar door

Example of a Zanzibar door

Example of a Zanzibar door

Example of a Zanzibar door

Example of a Zanzibar door