July 28, 2025

Hope for the Majestic

UNESCO promises funds for Zanzibar’s last cinema

The first visit of UNESCO boss Audrey Azoulay brought good news for the island – and especially for the long-neglected historic movie house Majestic.

Examining Stone Town heritage icons, the Director-General promised support for the Majestic, the last of Zanzibar’s former three cinemas. Emotionally visibly touched, the 53-year old French of Moroccan descent paused to see the dilapidated interior of the art-deco gem. An antique gallery, where the last Sultan of Zanzibar used to watch films while mingling with ordinary folks, overlooks a wallpapered auditorium of 700 now mostly broken seats.

“I love movies”, said Azoulay, former culture minister of France, who has held positions in the cinema sector and played in a movie (“Le Grand Role”) herself. “We would be thrilled to get the Majestic going again”, commented Khwemah Sykes, a Zanzibari architect and conservation specialist who has been advocating for the renovation for seven years. $500,000 have been earmarked for the project by the governments of Japan and Saudi Arabia. The future Majestic is to be used as a multicultural space for films, theatre, music, graduations and the like.

“The Majestic is one of the forgotten buildings of Zanzibar”, said Massoudi Salim, director of Hifadhi, a pro-active group of culturally-minded Zanzibaris. Initially called Royal Cinema and built by Scottish resident architect John H. Sinclair in 1920, the Majestic was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1954. With the 1964 revolution, when Tanganyika and Zanzibar became one, it was nationalised.

November 14, 2025

Two Perfect Weekend Escapes

Travel tips for 48 hours in Nungwi and the East Coast North There’s nothing like a change of scenery – even in beautiful Zanzibar. With lots of new places and improved roads, it’s time to explore. Zanzibar’s two most noteworthy coastlines – the North with Nungwi and Kendwa, and the South-East with about 30 km

November 4, 2025

The LUXURY Race: Who wins?

Should Zanzibar become like the Maldives? The government says yes. Names of newly planned high-class tourism attractions come up constantly. Three ventures seem to stand the best chance of realization – we have checked in with their creators. The Burj: World’s tallest timber tower The highest-priced units were gone first. If you have been

October 27, 2025

Can a pool be ECO-FRIENDLY?

For 25 years, Blue Oyster hotel, one of the oldest and greenest family hotels in Zanzibar, had no pool for environmental reasons. Now they do. How does that add up? Among the biggest environmental concerns in Zanzibar is high water usage by tourists and hotels; village wells have run dry because of too many hotels

October 20, 2025

“My island is fascinating”

My Zanzibar In this column, THE FUMBA TIMES asks residents and prominent fans of the island to show us Zanzibar through their eyes – from personal happy places to must-try-restaurants and standout attractions. This time we present insider tips by none other than Zanzibar’s Tourism Minister, Mudrik R. Soraga Tourism Minister: Hon. Mudrik R. Soraga

October 13, 2025

Crafting the future together

Neema: built on empathy and good taste Looking for cosy cushions, stylish lamp shades or casual furniture for your home? Once you spot the label “Neema”, don’t go any further. In Iringa’s ochre-light afternoons, a low hum of looms, lathes and laughter spills from Neema Crafts – a workshop where modern Tanzanian design is crafted

October 6, 2025

The DJ with a band: DJ Kassim taking Zanzibar by storm

When turntables alone started boring him, he looked for some musicians. And formed Zanzibar’s best band. We have a date and he is punctual to the minute. We have been wondering where to do the interview, and he has prepared a comfortable setting in his mini bus taking us to his beach gig at

September 29, 2025

Zanzibar’s 7 best museums

Marvels of memory revealing the island’s multicultural soul and local treasures: Freddie Mercury – Shy rock star The sea breeze along Kenyatta Road carries faint echoes of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The unassuming 50s style Stone Town home, now bookable as holiday apartments by the Tembo Hotel, is where Farrokh Bulsara spent his boyhood before becoming Freddie

September 22, 2025

Fresh academics

India’s best university has produced the first class of graduates in Zanzibar. “Salemalaikum” and “Namaste” were two greetings heard during the festive ceremony celebrating the successful ending of the first master’s class by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) Zanzibar. The institute opened in Fumba in November 2023. 16 graduates received their degrees in