8 Must-Visit Haunted Places in Tanzania

Isn’t it unbelievable that haunted places in Tanzania exist yet this is home to global tourist destinations? The Serengeti and Zanzibar, just to name a few are the backbone of tourism in tourism in Tanzania. Besides wildlife, Tanzania has an amazing cultural history dating back to centuries ago. Zanzibar, for instance, was a trading hub for Indians, Persians, Europeans, Arabs and Africans. Their presence here left eeriness in different places and they remain so centuries later.

Ghastly tales are often told about the scars that centuries of Persian and Arabian trade along this East African coast. However, which parts of Tanzania tell this tale?

Are there Haunted Places in Tanzania?

Some of the most famous places are, ironically, the most haunted places in Tanzania. They include the following:

• Mt Kilimanjaro
• Pemba Island
• Stone Town
• Pangani
• Ngorongoro Crater
• Bagamoyo
• Old Boma
• Lushoto

Here is why each of the above places is considered a haunted destination.

1. Mt Kilimanjaro

Although it’s Africa’s most famous mountain due to its climbing escapades, Mt Kilimanjaro has some dark history.  Over 100 people have lost their lives while trying to summit the highest mountain in Africa. Locals in Moshi where it sits believe that the lost souls were sacrifices to some dark forces within the mountain. Some hikers have in the past reported feeling strange in their camps at designated places within the mountain. You must agree that it’s dumbfounding that Mt Kilimanjaro is among the most haunted places in Tanzania despite its fame.

2. Pemba Island

Majini/mizimu (ghosts) stories are very popular among the Swahili people. Legends have it that Pemba Island was the birthplace of ‘ghosts’ from ancestral spirits guarding the island’s forest. Pemba is historically among the infamous slave trading centres in East Africa. A dozen slaves lost their lives here and their spirit now haunts the living. The dense forests on the island have centuries-old graves; many people choose to stay away from the forest for fear of ghost attacks.

3. Stone Town

Mystery, suffering and tragedy explain why Stone Town appears among the haunted places in Tanzania despite its popularity. Stone Town is Zanzibar’s heartthrob with lots of interesting tourist destinations and a rich Swahili culture. Nevertheless, it was a slave harbour in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Anglican Cathedral sits on property reported to be a slave-holding dungeon.  A common belief is that the spirits of these slaves still haunt the town.

4. Pangani

Pangani in Tanzania’s North coast reeks of slavery. Suffering in captivity remains a painful mark in the town. Slave trade posts built by Arabs still stand as a part of the town’s terrible history.

5. Ngorongoro Crater

Mornings at the Ngorongoro Crater are densely foggy. Folklore suggests that this is a sign from the gods. Several quarters believe that the crater has lots of spiritual significance that manifests in the weirdest of ways. Through the fog and mystical silence.

6. Bagamoyo

Bagamoyo, near Dar es Salaam is one of the eight haunted places in Tanzania due to the role it played in slave-trading. Old buildings served as slave outposts for two centuries. Hundreds of Black people lost their lives in these dungeons and their spirit is believed to haunt the town. The Bagamoyo Museum and Slave Port

7. Old Boma

Old Boma in Stone Town, Zanzibar was and still is a critical economic hub. It was established as part of the Omani Empire. Unfortunately, it became a fertile harbour for the slave trade in the 17^th century. Most slaves were shipped to the Middle East while others forcefully provided free labour on vast plantations owned by top Omani cadres.

8. Lushoto

Usambara Mountains in Northeastern Tanzania are scenic but carry the weight of random ghost appearances in the mountains. According to multiple sources, these ghosts guard the forest beneath the mountain. Rarely will you find people in Lushoto over fear of ghosts’ attacks.

Conclusion

Slave trade is the common denominator behind haunted places in Tanzania. The suffering and torture they went through remains a thorn in the flesh four centuries later. Interestingly, some of these troubled places such as Stone Town and Mt Kilimanjaro attract lots of visitors every year.