Princess Salme

I've always heard about Majid and Barghash bin Saïd, but Salme was one the first sultan of Zanzibar as well and pretty much unknown. Although she was a very clever mind with a life full of adventures.

Sayyida Salme or Emily Ruete was a very clever lady and she was one of the 36 children of the first sultan of Zanzibar (my grandmother had more siblings, he was a little player!). Her mother was a slave (later freered) from south Russia. She was born in 1844 and lived 80 years.

According to the old slave market, in Mkunazini, the princess had to stay indoors. She secretly had an affair with a German neighbor and then got pregnant. Until now we don't know why she run away to Yemen, Was it because she was in danger, or because she wanted to explore the world?

She gave birth to three children and one of them Rosalie was married to a general of the Prussian army. For both the British and the German Zanzibar was the entry door to colonisation.

Married to a German man before the Helgoland-Zanzibar treaty, she was the victim of the geopolitics and the greed of the beginning of colonialism.

Zanzibar was the main entrance for the British and the German. Bargash unfortunately associated her sister with the german's attack and because he was 'helped' by the British he banned her from Ungujaa.

She wrote two books for two distinguish audiences. One for the German called the Memoir of an Arab Princess from Zanzibar and Letters Home adressed to his people.

She stayed in Europe for many years, in the museum, on Hurumzi Street, Said the passionate host guide of the place, highlight 'the importance of cross-cultural understanding and sharing of knowledge and resources'. She wrote about the differences she faced between Germany and Zanzibar. According to her, the slaves inside the palace were given better treatement that German poor people.

She was a great smart and healthcare person that needs to be remembered more, I adviced to read her memoirs, and as a friend suggested, make a movie on her life, just saying.