Fortress
Old Fort of Zanzibar
🇹🇿 Tanzania · 17th century
The Old Fort (Swahili: Boma la Kale la Zanzibar), also known as the Arab Fort and by other names, is a fortification located in Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar. It is the oldest building and a major visitor attraction of Stone Town. It is located on the main seafront, adjacent to another landmark building of the city, the House of Wonders (former palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar), and facing the Forodhani Gardens.
Text adapted from “Old Fort of Zanzibar” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Old Fort of Zanzibar ranks #3,312 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #2 of the 2 mapped in Tanzania. Founded 1699, it is older than 23% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 626 atlas entries founded in the 17th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,101 times in the last 60 days, more than 51% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Tanzania compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Old Fort of Zanzibar?
Old Fort of Zanzibar stands in Tanzania, at -6.16139°, 39.1892°.
When was Old Fort of Zanzibar built?
The atlas dates its founding to 1699. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
Is Old Fort of Zanzibar a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes — it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, per its Wikidata entry.
How famous is Old Fort of Zanzibar?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #3,312 of 8,133 worldwide, and #2 in Tanzania. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Old Fort of Zanzibar?
Palace Museum, about 1 km away.
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