The hidden history of Zanzibar’s stone town

A list for noodle-lovers, horseback librarians, and more. Happy Friday! Another week in the books. To celebrate, we’re excited to try as many dishes as we can off this list of unique [noodle restaurants around the world]( as well as learn about how [Zanzibar’s famed Stone Town]( is revealing its hidden, long-buried history. More stories below—see you next week! [Zanzibar’s Stone Town]( Historians have long thought that Stone Town, the oldest part of Zanzibar City on the island of Zanzibar, [was nothing but a fishing village]( before the Portuguese arrived at the end of the 14th century. The accepted story was that the Portuguese founded and grew the city for two centuries before the Sultan of Oman took over near the end of the 17th century, turning it into a flourishing trading center. But a recent archeological project has begun to tell us an entirely different story, one that places local Swahili people back into the narrative. [READ MORE →]( Places of the Day [Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park]( Onsted, Michigan This theme park took visitors back in time, [luring visitors to its property]( with the promise of life-sized fiberglass dinos and other attractions. Today, it lies abandoned. [READ MORE →]( [Richard McDonald's Niche]( Manchester, New Hampshire The final resting place of [one half of the McDonald brothers]( is a humble niche in New Hampshire, in the town where he was born. [READ MORE →]( [Vaillancourt Fountain]( San Francisco, California This fountain has inhabited many roles in its [tumultuous career as public art]( political rebellion, rock show venue, or an expensive eyesore. [READ MORE →]( [Noodle Lovers, Assemble]( There are so many different variations of noodles in the world, and we are very grateful for it. So today, we’re [celebrating the starch in all its glorious forms]( from a soba shop in Kyoto that has been serving ethereal buckwheat noodles since 1465 to a family-run factory in Yogyakarta where cows still grind dried sweet potatoes and cassava into flour for “ugly noodles.” [READ MORE →]( [Horseback Librarians]( These librarians were known as [the “book women.”]( They would saddle up, usually at dawn, to pick their way along snowy hillsides and through muddy creeks with a simple goal: to deliver reading material to Kentucky’s isolated mountain communities. Welcome to the story of the Pack Horse Library initiative. [READ MORE →]( [Bloodroot Feminist Restaurant]( In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit a place in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where, for more than 40 years, Selma Miriam and Noel Furie Bloodroot have maintained the [Bloodroot Feminist Vegetarian Restaurant and Bookstore]( as a place where women from all over the world can gather, share ideas, and share meals. [LISTEN ON OUR SITE →]( [LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS →]( [LISTEN ON SPOTIFY →]( [LISTEN ON STITCHER →]( [Please Stop Flushing Goldfish]( Flushing a deceased goldfish down the toilet seems to be a rite of passage: a first pet, not long for this world, [getting a ceremonial swirl]( at the end of its brief, eventful journey. There are some people, however, who don’t wait for the fish to die, and some fish that make it through the ordeal. What happens to the fish next? A potentially large growth spurt, that’s what. [READ MORE →]( Our Courses and Trips [Learn the Secrets of Tarot]( Where do tarot cards come from? What do they mean? And do they really hold the answers to your fate? [In this course led by tarot author T. Susan Chang]( we’ll explore the origins of tarot buried six centuries in the past. [ENROLL IN THIS COURSE →]( [A Mexico City Culinary Adventure]( On this culinary adventure in and around Mexico City, [immerse yourself in the complex cultural identity]( of a metropolis where pre-Hispanic, colonial, and contemporary influences collide. From enjoying tacos al pastor while taking in a hidden Diego Rivera mural to learning more about heady Aztec brews, our focus throughout will be food and the people who make it. [BOOK THIS TRIP →]( How much did you enjoy this newsletter? lowest [1]( [2]( [3]( [4]( [5]( [6]( [7]( [8]( [9]( [10]( highest [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Link]( [See All Emails]( Copyright © 2022 Atlas Obscura Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you once requested to be included on the Atlas Obscura Newsletter mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time. Our mailing address is: Atlas Obscura Inc. 61 Greenpoint Ave Suite 210Brooklyn, NY 11222 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.