House of Wonders (Beit Al Ajaib) in Kilindoni

Historical place and the heart of Zanzibar

Poor construction caused this tragic incident to happen , maybe will be built in hereafter

Nice house but currently under construction

Still under reconstruction

The poor beauty collapsed seven years ago and still the reconstructions did not start :( This is how it looks today

During my visit the place was under reconstruction and we didnt manage to get inside

One of the better maintained historical buildings. Unfortunately most other buildings in this Unesco world heritage site are in an appalling condition.

Don’t waste you time to visit. The building is now severely damaged and closed for visitors.

It has fallen down while beings repaired an icon of Zanzibar history whereby human development started before New York city. Electricity and house lift was functioning in 18th century.

Ruins, government mistake let to self destruct such a beautiful house.

Unfortunately destroyed when we visited. For many years they have waited for funds to be able to restore it, but when they started to do it, one of the sides fell completely down. A shame, because it is known by that name for its beauty and for being a splendid palace built by Barghash bin Said, the second Sultan of Zanzibar, of the Omani dynasty.It was the first building in Zanzibar with electricity, and also the first building in East Africa to have an elevator. Hence they were amazed, but today there is only sorrow ...

Looks interesting, but crushed when we were in old town....

Currently under construction and this may take a while so no one can see anything or go in.

History of the All Sultan(Kingof Zanzibar Island. History of the House of Wonder itself

Great view and a good story about it

It is one of six palaces built by Barghash bin Said, second Sultan of Zanzibar, and it is said to be located on the site of the 17th-century palace of Zanzibari queen Fatuma.[1] The House of Wonders currently houses the Museum of History and Culture of Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast.

Good place to hang out , during day & night time . Lots of food stalls

The building looks nice, although I found it under renovation.

Twas an awesome experience. Great site to visit

CLOSED!!!It was closed, my guess for restoration or forever, not sure.Aside from viewing it from the outside and reading about it, there’s not much to see or do.

The House of Wonders is closed and possibly being restored. The same can be said of the Natural History museum and the nearby art museum. The Palace Museum is a different Palace and is worth a visit. It still has much of the furniture used in the early 20th century. The State House has no access. Hopefully more buildings will be open in the future.

Historical place

Palace Museum not sure if knows as House of Wonders holds the richest historys of Zanzibar in a political and historical Sense It has well reserved treaties and original painted antiques of the sultans and the queen which were given as gifts by various famous Austrian Artist and have been in place since 1800s till date hence if you planning your trip to the beautiful island of Zanzibar be sure to be able to visit the Palace museum just next to the ferry and can be seen on your entry to stone town via the ferry as well. Has a perfect view of all the four islands next to it,Prison Island being the most famous of all.

Currently underconstruction/restoration.

It has to be renovated, museum staffs are so friendly, entrance fee for adults was 6000 TZS about 3 Usd, not a very big place but interesting place and in the city center (Stonetown)

If you are visiting Zanzibar, Beit Al Ajaib or the House of Wonders is a Must to visit which will take you through the time travel. Zanzibar authorities preserved the place very nicely. The terrace overlooking the sea is simply refreshing and shall make you melancholy.

Well its a great place, hugely important and visually stunning historic building in Stone Town. It hosts a highly interesting exhibition and offers a brilliant insight into Zanzibari and Swahili culture.Needs renovation.

Nice place to visit, currently closed due to maintenance and repair.

House of wonder is the heart of ZanzibarCome and visit us to see wondeful Island of Zanzibar

This is a one among the good tourism attraction here in Zanzibar.

Building looks run down. Im sure that during its heydays it was something impressive to see.

The only wonder is that this building doesnt collapse. Otherwise nothing special. Quite filthy surrounding

The House of Wonders or Palace of Wonders is a landmark building in Stone Town, Zanzibar. It is the largest and tallest building of Stone Town and occupies a prominent place facing the Forodhani Gardens on the old towns seafront, in Mizingani Road. It is located between the Old Fort and the Palace Museum.

House of Wonders is a great historic place!Learnt a lot from our tour guide.However, due to current renovations at the place, the museum has been inaccessible for a long time and so, we couldnt see much inside.

|The House of Wonders was once the most modern building in East Africa—it was the first building to have electricity and an elevator—and it mixes elements of European style and Zanzibari tradition by including cast iron columns, elaborate door carvings, coral rag, open central courtyards, and mangrove ceilings that together form a truly unique architectural achievement. Just next to it is the Palace Museum, built by the second sultan of Zanzibar in 1883, which is an opulent palace comprised of beautiful marble flooring, coral stone walls, and silver decorations. The palace was built in the Omani style as an extravagant Arab mansion, and holds many relics that offer a rare glimpse of a past era. The House of Wonders and Palace Museum have been converted into popular cultural destinations; the House of Wonders presents exhibitions dedicated to Swahili culture and the Palace Museum highlights its ties to Zanzibars Omani history. |Location: Unguja Island, Zanzibar city Tanzania.#Tanzania #songosongoisland #fanjove #kilwa #lindi #fanjoveprivateisland #zanzibar #daresalaam #canoneos #5dsr #holiday #traveling #travelphotography #travel #sunset #sunrise #houseofwonder #unguja #ungujaIsland #pembaisland #SaadaniNationalPark #SaadaniSafariLodge

Closed for renovations when I visited quite rundown like most old buildings in Zanzibar.

Was sadly closed down due to renovations. Which are very very needed in my eyes. Has lost a lot of its old colonial charm. Zanzibar: Take more care of your historical buildings! Hopefully they will restore it to its original flair.

Has a lot of history to this place. The first building in Africa to host a mechanical lift. Its sad that I havent seen it open for the last few months. Has a very interesting history to this place

Heard of it to be a very nice place. But was unable to secure entry as renovation is under way. The cannons look formidable

Interesting place. Beautiful and mystical.

Historical building, good to see.

This attraction is closed for renovation and no one seems to know when the renovation will start, let alone finish!

The building is falling apart, we werent allowed to go to the upper levels, dust everywhere, very poor maintenance of the exposition. Felt very sad as the history of the island is worth maintaining. Dont bother

The House of Wonders has unfortunately seen better days it is now in desperate need of repair and lightbulbs. Many exhibits and some of the upper corridors are very poorly lit. Its still worth a visit if only for the experience of pushing open the biggest set of doors youll ever step through. Also right outside is a guy selling cold drinks who I bargained the hire of his bicycle for $5 for an hour, an excellent way to look around the town.

Amazing museum historical site found in Zanzibar very attractive its located stone town .....love it alot ...

Poorly maintained. Not a lot to see, but the building is interesting.

Could be a great museum but it is falling apart. Interesting history and awesome views.

Wouldve been awesome if there was some maintenance. Historic building, first to have an elevator in East Africa!

It would be such an amazing place of history. Sadly, it is in such a poor state! The back balcony has been broken for a few years and no one seems to care reparing it. What a shame.

This is a worthwhile museum to visit. In addition to the history lesson, you also see some good coral stone architecture and get a good view from the top floor.