Thank you to Where’s My Backpack for the invitation to join in the doorways travel theme
Detail of Zanzibar door
The doors of Zanzibar are special. The design and intricate, stylised carvings, tell stories of the slave trade, of the Swahili culture, of people who earned their living on the sea, of influences from India, Oman and Persia. Many were removed and sold to canny collectors before their real value as national heritage was recognised, and now an effort is being made to conserve those that remain. Zanzibar’s doors are one of the reasons I will never tire of walking the winding, narrow streets of Stonetown. I especially like it when an open door gives a glimpse of a cool, dark interior, where ordinary life continues behind a most extraordinary entrance.
Lovely photo! We spent a week in Stonetown and we also loved just walking the streets and soaking in all the beauty, with a stop at the Zanzibar Coffee House, for a spiced coffee, of course. 😀
Thanks Shelley. Yes, it’s a special, evocative place, even now. And the smell of that coffee from the street…! 🙂
I loved Stonetown, even though my friend almost got put in jail and we had to bribe his way out.
A long story but it involved forging driving licences, illegally hiring bikes, a panic attack, a cyclist and an orange stall.
The old ones are the best…
Sounds like a story that needs telling…! 🙂
Perhaps…one day…
Never heard of Stonetown but truly love this shot. Your composition and aperture are flawless.
Thank you so much. More luck than skill I’m afraid, and I seem to take 100 to get one decent one. Quite a change from the old print days! 🙂