Colors of Stone Town in Zanzibar: From white to black and back again

Abstract

Color is an integral component of the city and influences the reception of urban space. The conscious use of color, including the manipulation of color, can play an important role in shaping the image of cities and help in promoting them in the media and tourism markets. This occurred with Tel Aviv – a white city that became an icon of Bauhaus, and Miami Beach – a pastel city and a symbol of the Art Deco style. In the case of Stone Town in Zanzibar, changing colors of its buildings is not a conscious creation, but rather a natural process of construction, destruction and reconstruction. During the 19th century the city was white, then in the second half of the 20th century it blackened and decayed, while today it shines white here and there in the sun – following the renovation, plastering and repainting of the coastal strip. White trail seen in the cityscape clearly marks the boundary of area under gentrification. The black and white colors of the buildings in Stone Town reflect both the current political and economic processes, and the ethnic divisions that exist within it.

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