My friend Jing, who works in Dar es Salaam, took a trip to Zanzibar last month. He said the island has an amazing sea view, and also impressive heritages such as the "crazy doors". :) So he chose this postcard to share with me some well-decorated wooden doors inside the Stone Town (the old part of Zanzibar city). Actually the architectures in the old town, mostly dating back to the 19th century, reflects the diverse influences underlying the Swahili culture, with a unique mixture of Arab, Persian, Indian and European elements. "Stone Town of Zanzibar" was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Jing is a big fan of postcard, stamp and post office. He had prepared some stamps and matching postcards in advance, then went to the post office to get the postmarks of Zanzibar to make some maximum cards. The two he did for me show a Swahili woman and the Palace Museum of Zanzibar, respectively. Much appreciated!
When I got this postcard, I had not realized it comes from Africa as people easily connect this continent with desert and poverty. However, the place shown looks really beautiful and prosperous, just like any other seaside resorts in Europe. It is Dat es Salaam, the largest and richest city of Tanzania. Situated on a natural harbour on the eastern coast of Africa, it serves as the economic centre of the country. The postcard shows some seaside landscapes along beaches where residents and tourists alike frequency visit. Many thanks to Jing for this great card and nice stamps franked! Considering Dar es Salaam is one of the safest large cities in East Africa, I just hope you enjoy the nice time there! :)
