![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-sultan-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The relatively modest semi-detached house pictured below was, for over 50 years, the home-in-exile of Sayyid Jamshid Abdullah, the last sultan of Zanzibar. This was not the life he would have expected. How did he end up here?
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-house-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Sayyid was born into privilege on Sept 16, 1929 in Zanzibar and ascended to the throne in July 1963 following the death of his father, Abdullah Khalifa Al-Said.
He could not have imagined that his reign would only last seven months.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-postcards-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Zanzibar is an archipelago off the East African coast that was ruled by Oman from 1698 to 1858. The islands are famous for spices, particularly cloves.
Zanzibar came under British protection from 1890 until December 1963, when it became an independent constitutional sultanate. A month later the sultan was deposed by a bloody revolt in which the majority black African population overthrew the minority Arab elite.
Many Zanzibaris of Arab or mixed African/Arab descent relocated to Oman in 1964, fleeing riots that left thousands dead.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-stamp-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Sayyid escaped to Oman, hoping to be granted permission to settle, but when this was denied he flew to London with his entourage of 61 close family members and retainers.
He spent some time in London hotels but was running short of money until he was granted a lump sum of £100,000 and a monthly allowance of £1,500 by the British government.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-grove-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
This money allowed him to settle in Southsea in England. Why Southsea? Perhaps he liked the look of Portsmouth’s crest, with its Islamic-style moon and crescent motif.
Or maybe the seaside reminded him of his island paradise of Zanzibar. Or perhaps it was just better value for money compared with living in London.
It must have been a major culture shock for the former sultan. He kept a low profile and his neighbours described him as a quiet and respectful man. Those who visited his home were often shown his complete collection of Zanzibari stamps from the 1860s to 1960s.
The stamps told the history of his life, with the first set of his reign commemorating independence (Uhuru) from Britain, which took place just six months after he became sultan.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Fuhuru.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
The following month he was deposed, and his portrait was defaced with an overprint proclaiming a republic (Jamhuri).
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-jamhuri-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Sayyid continued to lobby for permission to move to Oman, the country of his ancestry, but these requests were rejected on security grounds. Perhaps Oman felt that having two sultans in the country could be destabilising.
Many of his family members were, however, allowed to relocate there in the years that followed.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-sayyid-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
As a humanitarian gesture, he was finally given permission to return to Oman in September last year to spend his remaining years. He will have plenty of company – tens of thousands of his former subjects and their descendants live there after being granted citizenship in the 1970s and 1980s.
Here are some old photos of Stone Town, Zanzibar:
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-stone-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-town-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-tailor-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F12%2Flifestyle-google-emel-pic-101221.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The building on the right also houses the Freddie Mercury Museum. The late Queen singer, real name Farrokh Bulsara, was born in Stone Town and came from a Parsi family.
He and his parents, along with many other South Asian families, also fled Zanzibar in 1964.
This article first appeared in Thrifty Traveller.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram