Historical landmark
Old Dispensary
R5RV+P22, Malindi Rd, Zanzibar
Ornately carved merchant hospital-turned-dispensary, with Indian balconies and stained glass over a coral rag frame.
This guide to the Old Dispensary in Zanzibar City follows Tharia Topan, a boy who stowed away from India at twelve after an accusation he always denied, and built a fortune in trade, banking and customs collection on the island. It traces his 1887 decision to commission a free hospital here to mark Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, and the bitter family dispute that broke out after his death in 1891, before the building was even finished. Look up at the carved balconies and stained glass above the entrance as you listen.
Audio guides are written and narrated by AI.