UNESCO will, this year, kick off a “comprehensive” development project to restore buildings and ensure the sustainable management of heritage in Zanzibar City’s historic centre of Stone Town – a World Heritage Site.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay signed the project agreement with Zanzibar’s President Hussein Ali Mwinyi after visiting UNESCO-supported restoration projects in the archipelago’s capital city in March.
“Our organisation will deploy experts to draw up a comprehensive project for the development of Stone Town. This will help mobilise new funding, speed up the restoration of buildings and ensure sustainable management of this heritage of outstanding universal value,” said Azoulay.
She said one of UNESCO’s main aims is to complete the renovation of The Majestic – Zanzibar’s last cinema. The initiative seeks to restore the building’s structure while transforming the interior into a cultural and community centre for the promotion of Swahili culture.
“Together with the Zanzibar authorities, our aim is to complete the renovation of The Majestic within the next year so that, by 2027, it can host major events such as cultural festivals,” said Azoulay.
Restoration of the House of Wonder, a large ceremonial palace built by the second Sultan of Zanzibar, Barghash bin Said, in the 19th century will be included in the project.
Environmental protection
Meanwhile, UNESCO’s environmental project assistance to Zanzibar will be centred on the Jozani-Chwaka Bay Biosphere Reserve designated by UNESCO in 2023.
Azoulay said, with its coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests, the reserve has set an example of biodiversity protection and creation of socio-economic opportunities in the “blue economy”.
“Here, the knowledge and traditions of local communities, particularly women’s cooperatives, have made it possible to develop activities such as seaweed farming, better protection of marine life and boosting ecotourism. It’s a model that deserves to be duplicated elsewhere.”
