Above is an Indian door. Characteristic features include the rounded, ornate top, and the big spikey things. Sorry, I don't know the technical name, but they are to keep elephants from ramming in the door. This was a real problem in India, though in Zanzibar there are no elephants.
Above is an Arabian door. Characteristic features include the square-shaped top, the ornately carved middle support dividing the two doors, and Arabic writing, usually quotes from the Qur'an (closeup below).
Above is an African door. Characteristic features include, simple construction, no middle support piece, not usually very ornate, and as our guide emphasized, "four or five locks, to protect against thieves." Yes, he really said that!
Ahmed, our tour guide through Stonetown. He taught us all about the doors and everything else. He's wearing a kofia--traditional hat worn by Muslim men, and a long tunic which reaches to the ankles. Underneath he wears swim trunks! We discovered this when we got caught in a rainstorm, and he gathered up his white tunic to keep it from getting soaked and dirty.
Above,Carl, Molly & Ryan, chilling out at the Africa House, a formerly a British men-only jazz club, now a posh hotel with relaxing balcony restaurant but extremely over-priced food.
Zanzibar Anglican Cathedral (above), with the minaret from a mosque in the background. The Cathedral was built in 1887 to commemorate the end of the slave trade. The site had originally been a slave trading market. The cathedral's altar stands at the site of a tree where slaves used to be tied and beaten. The adjoining building, St. Monica's hostel has a notorious pit in the cellar where slaves were kept before being taken to market for auction. (pictured below).
The Old Fort
Ryan taking in a view of Zanzibar harbor over the rooftops.QUIZ:
What type of door is pictured below?
Leave a comment with your answer to the quiz question!
3 comments:
Interesting! Indian anti-elephant devices and square ornate Arabian cross beam. What is it? And thanks so much for the lovely post. My thing is lit porches at night. No two are alike and all of them are so human and beckoning. Like a low campfire and hushed talk at the end of the day. Peace, Ryan.
I was stumped by this as well. It has the "spikey things" to stop the elephants like an Indian door, but it also has the square top more common to the Arabian door--hmm! I've very much enjoyed the posts and pictures from your trip. It's great to see Carl with you. You talked about seeing the world together since you were little boys! ~Love, Mom
The Indian door - you know it could be that elephants once came by and felt very unwelcome and just traveled on down the road:):)
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