Many important places on Zanzibar have been treated on separate webpages (see on map mentioned in red). So, under only Shangani is mentioned.

End of the Middle-Ages View on Zanzibar by the Portuguese.

Taken from: The first Booke of the Historie of the Discoverie and Conquest of the East Indias by the Portingals, in the time of King Don John, the second of that name. By Hernan Lopes de Castaneda. Translated into English by Nicholas Lichefield 1582.

(When describing the first trip of Vasco da Gama on his way back from India: 1497–1499).

During these five days, the fleet procured a considerable quantity of hens from a village on the coast called Tangata (close to Tanga). Leaving this place, the two remaining ships came on the 20th February to the island of Zenziber, which is in six degrees of S. latitude, at ten leagues distance from the continent. This is a considerable island, having other two in its neighbourhood, one called Pemba, and the other Moyfa. These islands are very fertile, having abundance of provisions, and great quantities of oranges. The inhabitants are Moors, who are by no means warlike and have few weapons, but are well clothed in silk, and cotton vestments, which they purchase at Mombaza from the merchants of Cambaya. The women are ornamented with jewels of gold and silver, the former being procured at Sofala, and the latter from the island of St. Lawrence, or Madagascar. Each of these three islands has a separate king, who, with all their subjects, are of the Mahometan religion. (They stayed for 8 days on Zanzibar).

(Voyage of Alonso and Francisco de Albuquerque to India in 1503)

(On the return) Ruy Lorenzo being ambitious to distinguish himself, he went to the island of Zanzibar, twenty leagues short of Mombasa, where he took twenty small vessels.

Taken from: A description of the coasts of East Africa and Malabar, in the beginning of the sixteenth century. Duarte Barbosa 1514. Transl Stanley.

PENDA, MANFIA, AND ZANZIBAR.

Between this island of San Lorenzo and the continent, not very far from it, are three islands, which are called one Manfia, another Zanzibar, and the other Penda these are inhabited by Moors; they are very fertile islands, with plenty of provisions, rice, millet, and flesh, and abundant oranges, lemons, and cedrats (Citrus medica). All the mountains are full of them; they produce lots of sugar cane, but do not know how to make sugar. These islands have their kings. The inhabitants trade with the mainland with their provisions and fruits; they have small vessels, very loosely and badly made, with-out decks, and with a single mast; all their planks are sewn together with cords of reed or matting, and the sails are of palm mats. They are very feeble people, with very few and despicable weapons. In these islands they live in great luxury, and abundance; they dress in very good cloths of silk and cotton, which they buy in Mombaza of the merchants from Cambay, who reside there. Their wives adorn themselves with many jewels of gold from Sofala, and silver, in chains, ear-rings, bracelets, and ankle rings, and are dressed in silk stuffs: and they have many mosques, and hold the Alcoran of Mahomed.

Taken from : Documentos Sobre Os Portugueses Em Mocambique E Na Africa Central 1497-1840 Vol I

ACCOUNT OF THE VOYAGE OF D. FRANCISCO DE ALMEIDA, VICEROY OF INDIA, ALONG THE EAST COAST OF AFRICA (Manuscrito de Valentim Fernandes d1519)

[1506] (This is the eyewitness account of Hans Mayer)

………… Joham Homem, who had captured two islands …… The other island captured by him lay between Kilwa and Mombasa and is called Zanzibar. And as the Moors of this island had already learned of the destruction of Kilwa they received him with many honours and gave him supplies saying they were at the Service of the king of Portugal.

They came to this bay on the 24th of August and there took water and firewood. …………………

Taken from: Documentos Sobre Os Portugueses Em Mocambique E Na Africa Central 1497-1840 Vol III

CHAPTERS RELATING TO EAST AFRICA IN THE ACCOUNT OF MARTIN FERNÁNDEZ DE FIGUEROA

1505-1511

……………… and Salabejar (Zanzibar) which is a kingdom; fifteen leagues from the island, towards the north, there lies a great city called Zanzibar, a very fertile and abundant island with a good port and provisions where there are better lemons and oranges than anywhere else. Near to it there is another fertile island, and there is peace in all of them. In front of these islands is a mainland called Otando (Utondwe/Otondo on Portuguese maps), where the kingdom of Mombasa begins.

Taken from: Documentos Sobre Os Portugueses Em Mocambique E Na Africa Central 1497-1840 Vol VIII

ACCOUNT OF THE JOURNEY MADE BY FATHERS OF THE COMPANY OF JESUS WITH FRANCISCO BARRETO IN THE CONQUEST OF MONOMOTAPA IN THE YEAR 1569. By Father Monclaro, of the said Company.

After tarrying here (On Mafia Island) two or three days we proceeded to another island the king whereof is mightier than that of Monfia, it is called Zanzibar (1), measures some 25 leagues in length and ten or twelve across. It is very fertile, yielding yams, and fruits, and produce in plenty. It often rains there, the place being very unwholesome, like all others of that coast. It has a town which used to be as large as Kilwa but which was destroyed and much ruined. There were here some Kaffirs from the mainland (=slaves) who had risen in revolt and kept the land in such turmoil that the inhabitants, being so weak, dare not go to their farms because of them. We travelled inland for a distance of some seven or eight leagues, our man fighting against them; and finding no resistance they did cast them out, wherefore the king, besides the fealty he had sworn to the king of Portugal, made a donation of the island unto him (2) with all solemnity and much music-making when our people took possession thereof. (Note: this happened in 1507).

The land itself is very spacious, and the town would be healthy if built elsewhere, because the place where it lies is unwholesome.

It yields much timber, the woods being so tall and thick that we walked through them for a distance of over two leagues and mostly the sun could not be seen. It was here that I saw areca trees for the first time, Indian trees so fresh and esteemed for their nuts which are eaten with betel, which climbs on them after the fashion of ivy. They resemble palm trees, only fresher-looking. They grew along a brook. The trees are the best and of the best timber I ever saw. The abundance thereof is such that it could be sent to India if necessary. There are in these woods many monkeys and some wild hogs, but the other game is scanty, Small very yellow oranges are to be found there, being eaten with the rind, and yet they are very sweet albeit unwholesome. There is tamarind in plenty, a drug so much valued by apothecaries, and many others of sundry kinds; the land and trees look very much like Portugal. There are also hills, but not very high. The harbours offer but little safety, being small; and there are bays and coves.

(1) On the margin:

There commonly reside Portuguese on this island, albeit few, having their chapel with the chaplain thereof. From this island they trade with the mainland, which lies half a league across the river. The trade consists of cloth, beads and iron, ivory and some amber.

This island is very fertile and has many trees yielding oranges, limes, lemons, pineapples, which are like fire cones in this Kingdom, only larger and most savoury. They have to be peeled before eating the kernel.

(2) On the margin:

From this island upwards the Portuguese begin their trade with the naos from India and the north coast; however, no nao comes to the island because of its many shallows, the Portuguese going to Mombasa —of which we shall speak Iater — carrying ivory, sandalwood and blacks, and they take home cloth and iron in exchange.

Taken from: A general history and collection of voyages and travels, arranged in systematic order [microform]: forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time by Kerr, Robert, 1755-1813

Vol 6.

Taken from: Portuguese Asia, by Manuel de Faria y Sousa (1646).

(in 1508 Duarte de Lemos)

From Mozambique he sailed for Melinda, whence he proceeded to visit the several islands and towns along the eastern coast of Africa to compel payment of the tribute they had been in use to pay to Quiloa, and which wat now considered as belonging or right to the crown of Portugal by the conquest of that place. Monfia submitted. Zanzibar resisted, but the inhabitants were driven to the mountains and the town plundered. Pemba reacted in a similar manner, the inhabitants fleeing as in Mombaza and leaving their houses empty (but some jewelry was taken in a small fort in which the sheikh had left such things as he had not been able to remove. Returning to Melinde, he gave the necessary orders for conducting the trade of Sofala.

Taken from: Documentos Sobre os Portugueses em Mocambique e na Africa Central 1497-1840 Vol VIII

MEMORANDUM EXTRACTED FROM THE LETTER OF FRANCISCO BARRETO, CAPTAIN-MAJOR OF THE VENTURE OF THE CONQUEST OF MONOMOTAPA, TO THE KING.

[Mozambique, 1571 August 5]

1 —Donation of the Island of Zanzibar to the King of Portugal.

2 — Description of the Island of Zanzibar.

1 — Francisco Barreto, captain-major of the venture of the conquest of Menamotapa, wrote to the King our lord (in his letter from Mozambique dated August the fifth, year 1571, sent with the fleet of last year, 1572) that, for the many favors he had received from him, the king of the Island of Zanzibar, to whom he restored the kingdom, first by giving sometimes battle to his enemies, whom he routed, killing many of them, the said king and the rulers and people of that island had made a gift of it to him. And that they had placed it at His Highness’s disposal so that thence forth His Highness might consider it as his own for all time, as more detailed described in the relevant deeds of donation; since these were not sent with Barreto’s letters (no doubt owing to some oversight), His Highness wrote this year asking him to send such deeds at once in order to be kept in the Royal Archives. So as to ensure that the matter is not forgotten pending the arrival of the deeds, His Highness did order this abstract to be made of Francisco Barreto’s letter and taken to the Royal Archives.

2 — Francisco Barreto writes saying that this island measures thirty-two leagues in length and fourteen in width, being the fairest he had ever seen and the most abounding in sustenance and other produce to be found in all those parts and coast; and that it is reported that with every moon it gives forth a new crop of produce including sugar-cane and ginger, And that its fertility is such that there is no memory of any famine there, yielding in addition much timber and coconut fibre and pitch; and further, which is important above all else, that the people of the island ate most favorably disposed to accept Christianity.

Taken from: Rezende's Description of East Africa in 1634. Tanganyika Notes and Records 23 (June 1947): 2-28 By Sir John Gray.

Zanzibar in 1634

P15

Forty leagues to the south of Mombassa is the island of Zanzibar, which is fifty leagues from the mainland and the same number of leagues in circumference. It is for the most part inhabited by Arabian Moors, who most of them have a Moorish King, who is a great friend of the Portuguese. Along all this coast there live about nine thousand married settlers with their families. There are palm groves and domains, which belong to the King. There is also a Church (1) with a vicar of the order of S. Augustine to whom the King does all possible favours. The island is fresh and fertile. For the most part it is covered with bush and timber of every kind used for ships. The King thereof does everything which is for the common good. He is not a vassal of His Majesty and pays no tribute, but he favours and helps the Portuguese rather than be their vassal. The Captain of Mombasa has a factor here, who buys and sells in accordance with the instructions given to him. The control of Pate (2), Ampaza (3) and Sio (4) is not within his jurisdiction.

(1) The church was built on the site of what is now known as the ”Portuguese Fort” in the town of Zanzibar. A report received by the Portuguese in 1710 stated that the Arabs had erected a ”ridiculous fort” out of the materials of this church and the house of one Joao Nunes. (Strandes p. 276). A chart of Zanzibar in Dalrymple's Collection, which is dated 1774, bears a legend to the effect that this fort appears to be a ruined church.

(2) Pate island on which Pate town is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province N-Kenya .

(3) Ampaza = Faza on the island of Patta.

(4) Sio: Siu.