$~~~~$Situated off the coast of Tanzania and washed by the warm, clean waters of the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar is a tropical archipelago comprised of several scattered islands. This popular beach destination is now famous for its white sand beaches, slender palms, and turquoise seas. But few people know that in the past, control of Zanzibar meant access to unimaginable wealth.
$~~~~$From ancient times, Zanzibar has been a trading hotspot, thanks to its location on the trade route between Arabia and Africa. Traders from Asia had already visited the islands 900 years before the arrival of its first permanent settlers from the African mainland (around 1000 AD). In the 8th century, Persian merchants built settlements here, which grew over the next four centuries into their trading posts. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, trade increased between Arabia, Persia, and Zanzibar, bringing the archipelago both wealth and power.
$~~~~$During the Age of Exploration, commerce in Zanzibar quickly boomed, largely due to the rise of the spice trade. At the close of the 15th century, Europeans’ craze for spices gave rise to the Spice Route, a network of sea lanes joining Europe with the Far East, where most spices came from. In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama made the first sea voyage to India, via the southernmost tip of Africa. In 1499, he arrived at Zanzibar, an archipelago sitting at the crossroads of the Spice Route. The islands soon attracted traders from different lands. Hundreds of ships sailing the Spice Route docked here, bringing spices and goods for transaction, and Zanzibar became one of the biggest trading centers in the world.
$~~~~$Since the 16th century, Zanzibar has come under the rule of the Portuguese, the Arabians, and then the British, each leaving a mark on the place. The paths of various religions also crossed here: Muslims have lived peacefully with Christians and Buddhists on the islands for centuries. The unique cultural intersections, scented with the aroma of cloves, vanilla, and cinnamon floating in the air, give these jewels on the Indian Ocean an amazing charm that goes far beyond tropical beach fun.