Stone Town - Old Dispensary Na Sur Nurmohamed Dispensary

The Old Dispensary was built in 1887 by Thaira Thopen, a prominent business man in Zanzibar at the time. Its construction was originally commissioned to commemorate Queen Victoria's Silver Jubilee. The foundation stone of the "Tharia Topan Jubilee Hospital" was laid in July 1885, but Sir Thopen died in 1891, causing an interruption in the construction. In 1900, the Old Dispensary was bought by the estate of Nasser Nur Mahomed and divided into apartments, which were used until the revolution in 1964. The decorative carved wooden balconies and four stories stand out as the building is restored to its former glory.

During colonial times, the Old Dispensary gained its name because it housed a dispensary on the ground floor, with a pharmacy and resident doctor. Today the Old Dispensary houses boutiques, shops and galleries with work by local artists.