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- Destinations
- Africa
- Tanzania
- Zanzibar
- Anglican Cathedral and Slave Market
Anglican Cathedral and Slave Market
The colossal Anglican Cathedral in Stone Town is located on the
grounds of the islands largest slave market, which closed down in
1873. The cathedral's altar stands on the exact location of the
former whipping post, a tree where slaves were brutalised to show
their strength and resilience to potential slave owners. Building
began in 1873 to commemorate the end of the slave trade and was
conducted by Edward Steere, third bishop of Zanzibar and a fervent
abolitionist. The cathedral has a combination of Gothic and Arabic
styles and is noted for its Basilica shape and barrel vault roof,
which the populace believed would never hold. Taking ten years to
build, Edward Steere died of a heart attack during construction and
was buried behind the altar. Look out for the stark memorial
outside the cathedral, a sculpture of a slave family bound round
the neck by a historic chain.
Information & Facts
Address
Near the junction of New Mkunazini Road and Creek Road,
Stone Town
Language
Swahili and English are the official languages. Several
indigenous languages are also spoken.
Money
The official unit of currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS),
divided into 100 cents. The tourism industry prices everything in
US Dollars and they are the preferred unit of currency. Major
currencies can be exchanged in the larger towns. Foreign exchange
bureaux in the main towns usually offer a better rate on travellers
cheques than do the banks. ATMs are available in major cities only.
Major lodges, some hotels and travel agents in urban areas accept
credit cards, but these should not be relied on and can incur a 10%
surcharge.
Time