Old Slave Market and Anglican Cathedral in Stone Town: visit and history
Stone Town's old slave market (in the Mkunazini district) was the largest in East Africa: the trade went on there until the sultan banned it in 1873. The Anglican Cathedral (Christ Church) was built in the 1870s on the site of the market, and its altar stands where the whipping post once stood. Today the site is a memorial, with sculptures, an exhibition and underground cells. Allow one hour; prices vary by source, from 5 dollars with a guide to free entry for the outdoor part.
Highlights
The cathedral
The building mixes a Gothic-style facade with a dome, and recalls that British missionaries wanted to mark the end of the slave trade with a church. Step back into the street for the photo.
The altar on the whipping post site
The altar is placed where slaves were whipped before being sold. A cross made from the wood of the tree under which David Livingstone died is displayed in the cathedral.
The exhibition and the cells
Panels explain how the market worked; some of the underground cells where slaves were held can be visited. The passage is narrow, airless and moving: bring water and skip it if you are claustrophobic.
Practical info
Tips
- Sources disagree on the price: one says 5 dollars per person with a guide, another free entry for the outdoor site and 5 dollars for the museum, another a fee to enter the cathedral. Ask at the entrance and carry cash. A guided visit adds a lot: the cathedral alone does not tell the whole story of the market. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered): it is a place of worship and memory. To understand this trade across the town, continue to the Palace Museum and the House of Wonders, then the Mangapwani slave cave outside town. The Darajani market is very close. For a walking route, see Stone Town in one day.
How to get there
The site is in the Mkunazini district, east of the old town, a few minutes on foot from Darajani market. It is visited on foot as part of a Stone Town circuit. From the airport, allow 10 to 30 minutes by taxi, see from the airport to your hotel.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
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