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Mtoni Palace is one of Zanzibar’s most important heritage sites. The oldest palace on the island, it was built for Sultan Said of Oman in 1828, 12 years before he made the fateful decision to relocate
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his de facto capital from Muscat to Zanzibar. Today, Mtoni is the most worthwhile of several ruined Omani palaces and bathhouses scattered along the west coast immediately north of Stone Town. It can be visited on a stand-alone trip from Stone Town, or as an add-on to a spice tour to one of the plantations at nearby Kizimbani.Historical Background to Mtoni Palace
The construction of Mtoni Palace preceded a momentous episode in Zanzibar’s history, which was the relocation of Sultan Said’s capital to the island in 1840. The motives behind this, though varied and complex, were associated with
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Zanzibar’s pivotal location on the trade routes connecting East Africa to Arabia and Asia. Under Said, Zanzibar flourished like never before, both commercially and culturally. It also became the world’s most important producer, and consolidated its role as the hub of a cruel trade in enslaved people shipped across from mainland Africa.Mtoni Palace was home not only to Said and his family, but also to several hundred enslaved people and concubines. The grand facade overlooked park-like gardens shaded by palms, mangoes and Zanzibar’s oldest clove trees. , , and roamed peacefully between channels and fountains fed by the stream alluded to in the name Mtoni (literally meaning ‘by the river’). After Said’s death in 1856, his son and successor Sultan Majid relocated to Stone Town and Mtoni Palace was allowed to fall into disrepair.Around the Ruins
Although Mtoni Palace has been roofless and in ruins since the late 19th century, the original floor plan is intact and the coral rock walls are mostly still standing. The main rectangular palace building has two
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levels of rooms enclosing a central courtyard. As with many old buildings on the Swahili Coast, the palace walls have many arches and niches. Outside the southeast wall, a restored Persian bath with four roof domes houses a small site museum.A larger walled courtyard containing several old columns extends northeast from the main palace building. The old garden, which runs southeast from this, is a jungle-like grove of palm, mango, tamarind and clove trees. A smaller clump of tropical trees shields the palace from a sandy beach that must have been idyllic in Sultan Said’s day but now feels rather overdeveloped thanks to its proximity to Stone Town.Restoration & Conservation
The restoration of Mtoni Palace has long been planned. In the 1990s, there was talk of turning it into a casino or luxury hotel, a misguided idea that thankfully never came to fruition. In 2006, the
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Mtoni Palace Conservation Project set about stabilizing the existing walls, restoring the garden, reroofing the baths and removing modern encroachments. In the years after this, Mtoni regularly hosted cultural events, including twice-weekly open-air dinners accompanied by traditional music (these have not resumed since the COVID-19 pandemic). A full restoration plan, drawn up in 2015 by the nonprofit organization ArchiAfrika, has yet to be implemented.How To Get to Mtoni Palace
Mtoni Palace stands on the west coast of Zanzibar, roughly 5km/3mi north of Stone Town. Most operators and hotels in Stone Town (and elsewhere on the island) can arrange guided tours. It is also easy enough
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to visit Mtoni en route between Stone Town and more northerly resorts such as Nungwi, Kendwa and Matemwe, as the main road runs right past the site. Public transport running from Stone Town to the nearby coastal village of Bububu can drop you outside Mtoni Palace.Nearby Attractions
Visits to Mtoni Palace are often combined with spice tours to the old plantations around Kizimbani. Other nearby ruins dating back to the 19th century include Maruhubi Palace and the Persian baths at Kizimbani and