Tanzania: Stone Town of Zanzibar

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Tanzania and one from Japan.

The card from Tanzania shows an aerial view of the Zanzibar City's Stone Town on Unguja. The Zanzibar Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean and consists of various islands including the largest islands Unguja and Pemba, which were inhabited since the Late Stone Age. In the 10th century the Persians established a base for traders on Unguja. In 1498 the Europeans visited the islands and already in 1504 they became a part of the Portuguese Empire. In 1698 Zanzibar fell under the control of the Sultanate of Oman. After struggles over the succession of Said bin Sultan, who moved Oman's capital from Muscat to Zanzibar, his son Majid bin Said became the first Sultan of Zanzibar in 1856. The sultans developed an economy of trade and cash crops in the Zanzibar Archipelago with a ruling Arab elite. Important goods were spices, ivory and slaves. In the following years the United Kingdom increased its influence on the islands and in 1890 the German Empire recognised the British protectorate over the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba in the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty. In 1963 the protectorate was abolished and Zanzibar became an independent state, but already in 1964 Zanzibar merged with mainland Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania. Today is Zanzibar a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania with Zanzibar City as its capital. The Stone Town of Zanzibar is since 2000 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Marine Life (from set of fifteen) (issued 2015)

Thank You very much Mi!