Old Dispensary, also called as Ithnashiri Dispensary, is located in Zanzibar, Tanzania. It is a historical building that served as a dispensary during the first half of the 20th century. Tharia Topan, a wealthy Ismaili Indian, commissioned the construction of the old dispensary in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. The building was built with an intention to be used as a charitable hospital for the poor. After the death of Tharia Topan in 1981, the building was left unfinished. In 1984, the building was completed and was sold off due to family disputes. During the year 1900, another merchant Haji Nasser Nurmohammed living in Zanzibar, bought the building and decided to make the building’s ground floor to be used as a dispensary while portioning the upper floors into apartments. The building fell into decay during Zanzibar revolution in 1964. In 1990, the renovation of the building was planned and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar gave the permission for restoration that was completed in 1994.
The building has beautiful features consisting of wooden carved balconies with stained glass windows depicting Indian influence on the architecture. The main structure of the building is influenced with traditional Zanzibari coral rag and limestone and is covered with stucco ornaments.
Image Source :Harvey Barrison | Flickr