Cultural Centre – Zanzibar Stone Town

Cultural Centre – Zanzibar Stone Town These are pictures of the Zanzibar Stone Town Cultural Centre. This is the Old Dispensary Building envisioned and funded by Sir Tharia Topan, finally completed shortly after his death by his widow. With it’s foundation stone having been layed in 1887, it was originally called the “Tharia Topan Jubilee Hospital”.

This is an interesting site not only because the Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored it, but also because it was built by an Ismaili, Sir Tharia Topan. For many years, this fact was not commonly known, as the words on the front noted ‘Khoja Haji Nasser Nur Mahomed’. Fact was, however, that it was envisioned and funded by Sir Tharia Topan, with the foundation stone having been layed in 1887. Topan died during construction but his widow Lady Janbai ensured that it was completed. Later, however, the operations became an issue, particularly given that Lady Janbai now lived in India. The building was sold in 1900 to Nasser Nur Mahomed, and hence, history was re-written, but only for a century.

Pictures related to the building’s restoration can be found in the Archnet collection at:
http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=3927

First built as “The Tharia Topan Jubilee Hospital” it became known as “The Khoja Haji Nasser Nur Mahomed Charitable Dispensary” and now, with the wonderful work of the AKTC, is “The Zanzibar Stone Town Cultural Centre”

A link to the building’s history:
http://www.akdn.org/aktc/hcsp_zanzibar2.html

http://www.akdn.org/hcsp/zanzibarprojects.pdf

Picture of Sir Tharia Topan:

Cultural Centre – Zanzibar Stone Town

Cultural Centre – Zanzibar Stone Town