Close-up of a coral building stone in Matemwe.

Last week I shared some pictures of a coral palace in Zanzibar. This week, I’m sharing a few pictures of modern coral houses in the beachside village of Matemwe, which is located on Zanzibar’s northeastern coast. These days, more and more buildings in Zanzibar are being built out of concrete. This may be a good thing since mining of coral rock may not be the most eco-friendly building practice. However, some modern buildings, such as the one (in progress) in the photograph below, are still constructed from traditional coral building stone.

A wider view of a coral house under construction in Matemwe.

A wooden door on a coral house, Matemwe.

Firewood kindling stacked against a coral building in Matemwe.

My husband and our guide walking down one of the main streets in Matemwe.

Yours truly posing with some women outside a coral building in Matemwe. I bought one of the bags they were weaving out of palm leaves.