Mangapwani Slave Cave

Useful Information

Location:	On Zanzibar Island. 20km north of Zanzibar Town. From Zanzibar Town take main road through Bububu to Chuini, then turn left to Bumbwini. After 7km, in Mangapwani village, turn left towards the coast. After 2km turn right into a narrow dirt road at a large house overlooking the sea. 1km to the Slave Cave.
Open:	no restrictions
Fee:	free
Classification:	Cellar.
Light:	none.
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Bibliography:
Address:
Last update:	$Date: 2008/05/30 07:01:21 $

History

Description

Mangapwani Slave Cave is not natural, but cut out of the coral limestone. It is a sort of cellar, more or less a square-shaped cell.

It was built for storing slaves by Mohammed Bin Nassor Al-Alawi, a prominent slave trader. Boats from Afrika (Tanzania) landed at the nearby beach and unloaded their human "cargo". The slaves were kept here until they were taken to Zanzibar Town or to Oman.

In 1873 Sultan Barghash signed the Anglo-Zanzibari treaty which officially abolished the slave trade. Some time after the cave was still used as a place to hide slaves, as an illicit trade continued for many years.

Today, the cave itself remains, although the wooden roof under which the slaves were hidden has now gone. There are steps which lead down onto the cavern floor.

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