So, it is said that travel broadens the mind, well, there is no better way to say it! If you fancy exploring the history and cultures of various countries, Tanzania is certainly a place to visit for it holds the famous Palace Museum in Zanzibar.
History
A collection of numerous large buildings, Biet al-Sahel, was once home to a Sultan named Seyyid Said from 1828. 68 years later the magnificent palace was almost brought down to ruins by the British blitz. The palace was later reconstructed and used until the revolution in 1946 where the last Sultan was vanquished. To find out more about the stories of the Palace, refer the book Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar written by Princess Salme which is available at the Museum or local bookstores.
Precious artefacts
The Palace Museum houses within it invaluable artefacts such as various portraits, including a life-sized painting of Queen Elizabeth the ll, banquet tables and the room of a Princess of the 19th century. Not to mention, the unique ceremonial furniture of the Sultan.
Location
This place of history is located in Stone Town, Zanzibar city, along with the waterfront near Forodhani garden. If you are staying at a Zanzibar luxury hotel around the corner, The Residence Zanzibar by Cenizaro, for instance, the Palace Museum is just a hop, skip and a jump away!
More interesting facts
Within the larger complex including Biet al-Sahel, was a self-contained unit with raised walkways built exclusively for Royals so that they could avoid busy streets. One such walkway exists to date going over a street behind the Palace Museum. Moreover, the Palace gardens contain tombs of sultans, also, don’t forget to take a look at the “double tomb” belonging to a sultan whose legs were amputated and buried first, some years later after the death of the sultan his body was joined as well.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting. Google+