St. Joseph's Cathedral, Zanzibar
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic cathedral
of St. Joseph is one of the most important historical buildings in Stone Town
, Zanzibar
, as well as one of its main visitor attractions.
The church is regularly used by the local Catholic community, with several mass
es being held each Sunday and occasionally on weekdays.
balconies), the church itself can prove hard to find in the maze of narrow streets of Baghani. The easiest route to the church is following Kenyatta Road to Gizenga Street and then taking the first street on the right.
missionaries
between 1893 and 1898. The design of the church was based on that of the Marseille Cathedral, and in fact the two churches bear some resemblance to each other, the Stone Town cathedral being much smaller. Its main architectural feature is twin spires (like those of Marseille's church) that are one of the easiest elements of Stone Town's skyline to spot from elevated places as well as from the ocean. The interior is painted with scenes form the Old Testament
, many of which have deteriorated over time and were poorly restored. The tiles and stained glass
windows were imported from France.
In the narrow churchyard there used to a be a tall palm tree, which appears in most pictures of the church; the tree has been cut down sometimes in the 2000s.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of St. Joseph is one of the most important historical buildings in Stone Town
Stone Town
Stone Town also known as Mji Mkongwe is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania, as opposed to Ng'ambo . It is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago...
, Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
, as well as one of its main visitor attractions.
The church is regularly used by the local Catholic community, with several mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
es being held each Sunday and occasionally on weekdays.
Location
The church is located in the Baghani area, off Kenyatta road. While its twin spires are easily seen from a distance and from elevated places in Stone Town (i.e., the House of WondersHouse of Wonders
The House of Wonders or Palace of Wonders is a landmark building in Stone Town, Zanzibar. It is the largest and tallest building of Stone Town and occupies a prominent place facing the Forodhani Gardens on the old town's seafront, in Mizingani Road. It is located between the Old Fort and the...
balconies), the church itself can prove hard to find in the maze of narrow streets of Baghani. The easiest route to the church is following Kenyatta Road to Gizenga Street and then taking the first street on the right.
History and style
The church was built by FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
between 1893 and 1898. The design of the church was based on that of the Marseille Cathedral, and in fact the two churches bear some resemblance to each other, the Stone Town cathedral being much smaller. Its main architectural feature is twin spires (like those of Marseille's church) that are one of the easiest elements of Stone Town's skyline to spot from elevated places as well as from the ocean. The interior is painted with scenes form the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, many of which have deteriorated over time and were poorly restored. The tiles and stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows were imported from France.
In the narrow churchyard there used to a be a tall palm tree, which appears in most pictures of the church; the tree has been cut down sometimes in the 2000s.