Maruhubi Historical Site

Maruhubi Palace was built in 1882 by Sultan Barghash to house his harem of up to 100 concubines — making it one of the more fascinating footnotes in Zanzibar's history. The palace burned down just years after completion, but the ruins are still worth wandering, especially the remaining balcony columns that give you a real sense of how grand and romantically lavish the place once was, overlooking pools filled with fragrant flowers. It's an easy half-day stop just outside Zanzibar Town.