View through the parapets to Stone Stone, Zanzibar.
Stone Town is the beating heart of Unguja, the principal island of the Zanzibar archipelago. It is a maze of coral ragstone, crumbling cement, mangrove timbers, and corrugated steel. Some 16,000 people call it home, although many more live in the surrounding area on the island.
Structures are a mashup of Swahili, Indian, Arab, and European styles.
I shot this view from the roof of our lodging, the Swahili House, a 19th c Indian merchantmen’s home. Note the crenellated parapets lining the top of the wall. While they look like a defensive feature, they are actually designed to give a little privacy to residents who uses the flat roof as living space.
