{"id":5912,"date":"2018-06-08T07:49:43","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T07:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vimatsafaris.com\/?page_id=5912"},"modified":"2018-06-08T08:24:20","modified_gmt":"2018-06-08T08:24:20","slug":"zanzibar-cultural-safari","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vimatsafaris.com\/zanzibar-cultural-safari\/","title":{"rendered":"Zanzibar Cultural Safari"},"content":{"rendered":"
Compared to the mainland, Zanzibar often seems like a different country and that\u2019s largely because up until the unification in 1964, it was. The archipelago and its people have their own unique history and culture which is strongly influenced by the Portuguese, Omani and English traders and invaders over the centuries. Zanzibar is today inhabited mostly by ethnic Swahili, a Bantu population. There are also a number of Arabs as well as some Indians.
\nZanzibar\u2019s population is almost entirely Muslim with a small Christian minority. Unlike mainland Tanzania, Zanzibar doesn\u2019t have tribes. Instead local traditions are a fusion of different ethnic groups that settled on the islands, resulting in events like Pemba bull fights from the Portuguese and Mwaka Kogwa, the celebration of the Persian New Year.
\nIn recent years, Zanzibar has gained international prominence as a cultural center after hosting the Sauti za Busara music festival and the Zanzibar International Film Festival. This has shown how the islands have succeeded in celebrating their heritage while constantly moving towards the future.
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