Majestic Cinema Cultural Hub in Stone Town
The Stone Town of Zanzibar is an extraordinary ensemble of buildings made of coraline stone that housed diverse communities over time that the town flourished as a trading center in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. The buildings represent a fusion of Swahili, Indian, Arab and European influences in building traditions and town planning. Since the country’s independence in the 1960s, the condition of these cultural assets has declined.
“[T]he initiative intended to rehabilitate the Majestic Cinema into a thriving Cultural hub, transcends beyond the restoration of the building’s physical structure to unlocking and harnessing the latent socio-economic potential within its historic walls.“
– UNESCO News, “Launching the Majestic Cinema Rehabilitation in Stone Town of Zanzibar” (2024)
The Majestic Theater is a unique building in the context of East Africa with an architectural and historic significance. Built in 1956 in the Art Deco style to the design of the local architect Dayaliji Pitamber, it was one of the largest and most innovative buildings of its time on the island. While in a dilapidated condition, is the last of the three purpose-built cinemas in Zanzibar that is unaltered and still in use.
CHiFA has provided a loan to support pre-development planning and the incorporation of a trust to operate the building in cooperation with three local cultural organizations: Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), Busara Productions’ music festival and Reclaim Womens Space.
