Timeline of Zanzibar City

The following is a timeline of the history of Zanzibar City, Unguja island, Zanzibar, Tanzania. The city is composed of Ng'ambo and Stone Town. Until recently it was known as Zanzibar Town.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Prior to 19th century

• 1700 - Old Fort of Zanzibar is built by Omanis (approximate date).
• 1710 - Fatima in power.
• 1746 - "Arab garrison" installed in fort.
• 1753 - Fort "unsuccessfully attacked by Mazrui Arabs from Mombasa."
• 1784 - Zanzibar becomes part of Oman.

19th century

• 1830 - Mtoni Palace built near town.
• 1832 - Capital of the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman relocated to Zanzibar from Muscat, Oman by Said bin Sultan.
• 1836 - United States consulate established.
• 1841 - British consulate established.
• 1844 - French consulate established.
• 1850 - Kidichi Baths built near town.
• 1856 - Majid bin Said of Zanzibar in power.
• 1870
  • Barghash ibn Said in power.
  • Population: 70,000 (approximate).
• 1872 - Cyclone.
• 1873 - British "forced the closure of the slave market."
• 1879 - Anglican Christ Church built.
• 1880 - Marhubi Palace built near town.
• 1883 - House of Wonders built.
• 1888 - Hamamni Persian Baths built.
• 1890 - British in power per Heligoland–Zanzibar Treaty.
• 1896 - 27 August: Anglo-Zanzibar War.
• 1897 - Slave trade abolished.
• 1898 - Catholic St. Joseph's Cathedral built.

20th century

• 1904 - Darajani Market building constructed.
• 1905
  • Bububu railway constructed.
  • Plague.
• 1910
  • Law courts built.
  • Population: 35,262.
• 1914 - 20 September: German SMS Königsberg sinks British HMS Pegasus in harbour.
• 1925 - Peace Memorial Museum established.
• 1928 - Rent strike in Ng'ambo.
• 1935 - Jubilee Gardens laid out.
• 1948 - General strike.
• 1957 - Afro-Shirazi Party headquartered in town.
• 1960 - Population: 45,276.
• 1961 - June: Unrest.
• 1964
  • 12 January: Zanzibar Revolution; city becomes capital of People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba.
  • April: Sultanate of Zanzibar becomes part of the new United Republic of Tanzania.
  • City becomes capital of semiautonomous region of Zanzibar.
  • Mtoro Rehani becomes mayor.
• 1966 - Kikwajuni GDR housing built.
• 1972 - 7 April: Abeid Karume assassinated.
• 1973 - Television Zanzibar inaugurated.
• 1977 - Trains of Michenzani (housing) built (approximate date).
• 1985 - Economic liberalization begins.
• 1994
  • Palace Museum established.
  • Stone Town Conservation Plan approved.
  • Old Dispensary building restored.
• 1997
  • Zanzibar International Film Festival founded.
  • Keele Square rehabilitated.
• 1999
  • Area of city: 1,600 hectares.
  • Population: 195,000 (estimate).

21st century

• 2000 - Stone Town designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 2004 - Sauti za Busara (music festival) begins.
• 2005 - Population: 220,000 (estimate).
• 2008 - 21 May-19 June: 2008 Zanzibar power blackout.
• 2009-2010 - 10 December-March: Second Zanzibar power blackout
• 2009 - Forodhani Gardens rehabilitated.
• 2012 - Anti-government protests.
• 2013 - August: Two 18-year-old, British volunteer teachers, Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, were injured by an acid attack by men on a motorcycle near Stone Town.
• 2014 - June: Mosque bombed.

See also

• History of Stone Town
• History of Ng'ambo
• Wards of Zanzibar City
• History of Zanzibar (islands)
• List of Sultans of Zanzibar
• Zanzibar Urban/West Region (Zanzibar City is capital)
• List of football clubs in Zanzibar
• Timeline of Dar es Salaam

Further reading

Published in the 19th century

Published in the 20th century

Published in the 21st century