The carved doors of Stone Town are an architectural feature in their own right and a category of sight worth tracking down deliberately. Roughly five hundred survive in the old town, divided between two distinct styles. Omani doors are rectangular, sober, with floral and geometric carving on the lintel and frame and Quranic inscriptions across the top. Indian doors are taller, brass-studded — the bosses were originally designed to stop elephants from breaking down doors in Gujarat — and often arch-topped, with carved chains and pineapples around the edges.
The thickness of the door, the depth of the carving and the number of brass studs all signaled the wealth of the household behind. There are several good walking routes specifically for door-hunting; the best concentration is on Hurumzi and Soko Muhogo streets, and the most spectacular single example is the door at Tippu Tip's house. Most are still attached to lived-in homes, so look but do not touch.