Stown Town - Ruins

Mbweni Ruins, located south of Stone Town, are perfect for bird and nature lovers. A 19th C mission station used the site as a settlement for freed slaves. A nature trail passes more than 650 plant species and 150 varieties of palm trees from around the world. The ruins of St Mary's School for Girls, built in the 1870s, is located within a lush garden. The St Mary's School educated the daughters of freed slaves and girls who were released from the slave dhows.

Sultan Said Barghash constructed the Maruhubi Palace between 1880 and 1882 to house his harem. In 1889, a large fire destroyed the palace and it fell into ruin. Some of remains include two bathhouses, stone pillars and an overhead aqueduct.

Sultan Seyyid Said built Mtoni Palace at his chosen location. As his permanent residence, it had balconies on the exterior, a garden courtyard, a mosque and an observation turret. Today only a few walls remain of this once palatial structure.