DAR ES SALAAM, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi on Thursday vowed to continue protecting Stone Town, designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2000.
Mwinyi pledged to protect Stone Town when he held talks with senior officials from the UNESCO office in Tanzania at Zanzibar State House in Vuga.
A statement by Zanzibar State House said Mwinyi told the UNESCO delegation that his administration has taken a number of measures aimed at protecting Stone Town, including reducing the number of cars that park within the area.
Mwinyi added that his government, in collaboration with development partners, is renovating some of the old buildings in the area.
Stone Town, located on the western coast of the iconic tropical Island of Zanzibar, is a fine example of a Swahili coastal trading center built on the long tradition of trade and exchange between the African interior and the lands of Arabia and Asia.
