Old Dispensary, Zanzibar

Old Dispensary, Zanzibar (Tanzania)

The Old Dispensary also known as Ithnashiri Dispensary is a historical building in Stone Town Zanzibar. It is located on the seafront on Mizingani Road halfway between the Palace Museum and the harbor. It owes its name to the fact that it served as a dispensary in the first half of the 20th century. The Dispensary is one of the most finely decorated buildings of Stone Town and a symbol of the multi-cultural architecture and heritage of the city. Its wooden carved balconies with stained glass decorations are of Indian influence the main structure is built with traditional Zanzibari coral rag and limestone but covered with stucco adornments of European neo-classical taste. The inside of the building is just as sophisticated with a covered courtyard and carved bridges connecting the floors.