Swahili Coast Architecture: Reading Stone Town's Doors

Stone Town is famous for its elaborately carved wooden doors, many over a century old, which historically signalled the wealth and origin of the household behind them. Doors of Arab influence typically feature geometric and floral patterns and pointed frames, while doors of Indian influence often include brass studs, originally designed to deter elephants from pushing them open in India, before becoming purely decorative in Zanzibar. Walking through Stone Town with an eye on its doors is one of the simplest ways to notice the layered history of Swahili, Arab, Persian, and Indian influence in the town's architecture.