The Old Dispensary

The Old Dispensary, also called Ithnasheri Dispensary, is one of Zanzibar's finest architectural landmarks. The four-storey building with its decorative balconies can be found on the seafront near the port on Mizingani Road in Stone Town.

The building was designed by the Indian architect Hashan Patel and built by the Ismaili Indian merchant Sir Tharia Topan, a customs advisor to the sultans. The original plan for the building was to become a hospital in honour of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The construction began in 1895, but unfortunately Sir Tapan died in 1891 before completion.

In 1900 the building was acquired by Haji Nasser Nur Mohammed with the intention to use it as a charitable institution. He set up a dispensary on the ground floor and divided the upper two floors into apartments. After the revolution in 1964 the dispensary fell into disuse and came under the control and ownership of the government. In the 1990s the building was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and houses today various offices as well as an exhibition of Zanzibar handcraft, wood carving, women fabric art and paintings on the first floor. The exhibition is open daily from 9am to 5pm. The trust plans to open a maritime museum in the building in the near future.
AFRICA HOUSE HOTEL ~ STONE TOWN ~ ZANZIBAR ISLAND
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