
Since the first century CE, the islands of Unguja and Pemba (that make up modern Zanzibar) have been at the fulcrum of the maritime cultural heritage of East Africa. Even today, there is a flourishing intangible cultural heritage linked to the sea and coast of the archipelago. This project will showcase this heritage in a central landmark building in the centre of Stonetown Zanzibar, to the benefit of locals and foreign tourists alike. Working with the results of the East Pemba Maritime Heritage project, existing museum and archaeological collections and ethnographic material collected by the Rising from the Depths network, the project will help to create innovatory displays and interpretations. Digital media will be employed, alongside more traditional methods of museum display. A showcase for creative arts relating to the maritime heritage will be established, that will include crafts, visual media and performance. It is hoped that this project will be the start of the creation of a legacy resource for the Rising from the Depths network, that will enable the promotion of both heritage and sustainable tourism within Eastern Africa.
Location: Tanzania
PI: Mark Horton (Royal Agricultural University)
Co-Is: Laura Basell (University of Leicester), Abdallah Khamis Ali (Government of Zanzibar)
Partners: Royal Agricultural University, University of Leicester, Zanzibar Heritage Foundation
Size: Medium