Alhambra Cinema
A historic Art Deco cinema and theatre building on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa, later restored as a Church of Scientology center.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Alhambra Cinema is a historic Art Deco building on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel. Opened in May 1937, it was designed by the Lebanese architect Elias Al-Mor and named after the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. The building was conceived as a major cinema and entertainment venue during the Mandate period and was regarded at its opening as one of the largest and most luxurious cinemas in Palestine. The venue quickly developed beyond the role of a conventional film house. During its early years it functioned as an important Palestinian Arab cultural institution and hosted prominent Arab performers, including Umm Kulthum, Farid al-Atrash and Leila Mourad. Its programs attracted Arab and Jewish residents of Jaffa and the surrounding area, making the cinema a shared urban entertainment space during a politically turbulent period. The building's architecture and presentation reflected the ambition of Jaffa's commercial and cultural life in the 1930s; contemporary descriptions emphasized its scale, internal arrangement and furnishings. The cinema was owned and managed by a group of Palestinian Arab businessmen and community figures, including Isa al-Safri, Muhammad Abduh Hilmi, Muhammad Musa al-Husayni, Muhammad Younis al-Husayni, Muhammad Ramadan Hammu, Hasan Arafeh, Abdul-Rahman Alhaj Ibrahim and Mughnnam Mughnnam. The venue operated during the Arab revolt in Palestine, and period photographs show permanent electric lighting installed at the top of its turret. Following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the property became Israeli-owned and reopened under the name Yafor. In 1963, theatre impresario Giora Godik took over the site and converted it into an independent theatre, while restoring the Alhambra name. This change marked a significant transition from a cinema-centered business to a live-performance venue. The building later declined and was largely abandoned by the late 1970s. For a period before the restoration, the main entrance facing Jerusalem Boulevard was used by a bank branch; that use continued until 2007. The building underwent restoration and refurbishment beginning in 2010. The work addressed a structure that had been altered over decades and sought to adapt the historic property for a new institutional purpose. In 2010 it was purchased by the Church of Scientology, and in 2012 it reopened as the Ideal Center of Scientology for the Middle East. The site therefore represents several overlapping histories: Palestinian cultural production in pre-1948 Jaffa, Israeli cinema and theatre after 1948, the deterioration and commercial reuse of a historic building, and its later conversion into a religious organization’s regional center. Although it is no longer principally an operating cinema, the Alhambra name remains associated with one of Jaffa’s notable entertainment and architectural landmarks.
History
The Alhambra Cinema was opened in May 1937 on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa, then part of Mandate Palestine. Its Art Deco design was created by the Lebanese architect Elias Al-Mor. The building took its name from the Alhambra palace in Spain and was intended to provide Jaffa with a large, modern entertainment venue. At its opening it was described as one of the biggest and most luxurious cinemas in Palestine. Although established as a cinema, the Alhambra soon served as a broader cultural institution. Palestinian Arab owners and managers, including Isa al-Safri, Muhammad Abduh Hilmi, Muhammad Musa al-Husayni, Muhammad Younis al-Husayni, Muhammad Ramadan Hammu, Hasan Arafeh, Abdul-Rahman Alhaj Ibrahim and Mughnnam Mughnnam, were associated with its operation. The venue hosted notable Arab singers and performers such as Umm Kulthum, Farid al-Atrash and Leila Mourad. Local Arab and Jewish families attended its programs, giving the site a role in the shared public entertainment culture of Jaffa during the late 1930s and 1940s. The building remained in operation during the Arab revolt in Palestine. Photographs from 1937 show electric bulbs permanently installed near the top of its turret, an architectural and technical detail associated with the original structure. After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the property became Israeli-owned and reopened under the name Yafor. In 1963, theatre impresario Giora Godik took control and converted the venue into an independent theatre. The Alhambra name was revived for this theatrical phase, reflecting the building's shift from film exhibition toward live performance. By the late 1970s the building had been largely abandoned. Its prominent entrance on Jerusalem Boulevard was later used by a bank branch, which remained there until 2007. These successive uses illustrate the decline of the original entertainment business and the practical reuse of a landmark whose historic function had disappeared. Restoration and refurbishment began in 2010. The project followed decades of alterations and sought to adapt the property for a new occupant while retaining its historic architectural identity. The Church of Scientology purchased the building in 2010. In 2012, after renovation, it was opened as the Ideal Center of Scientology for the Middle East. The restored property consequently ceased to operate primarily as a cinema or theatre, but it continued to function as a significant landmark in Jaffa's built and cultural history. Its story links Palestinian Arab cinema and music, post-1948 Israeli entertainment, theatre production, commercial vacancy and reuse, and contemporary institutional occupation.
- 2012
Opening as a Scientology regional center
[1]The restored building reopened as the Ideal Center of Scientology for the Middle East.
- 2010
Purchase and restoration
[1]The Church of Scientology purchased the building, and restoration and refurbishment work began.
- 2007
Bank branch use ends
[1]A bank branch that had occupied the building's main boulevard-facing entrance ceased using the site by 2007.
- 1970
Period of decline and abandonment
[1]By the late 1970s, the building had been largely abandoned after its period as a theatre.
- 1963
Conversion into an independent theatre
[1]Impresario Giora Godik took over the venue and converted it from a cinema into an independent theatre, again using the Alhambra name.
- 1948
Reopening under the name Yafor
[1]After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the property became Israeli-owned and reopened under the name Yafor.
- 1937
Opening of the Alhambra Cinema
[1]The Art Deco cinema opened in May 1937 on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa and became one of the largest and most prominent cinemas in Palestine.
Products and positioning
A historic Jaffa entertainment landmark whose identity evolved from a Palestinian Arab cinema and cultural center into an Israeli theatre and, after restoration, a regional institutional center.
Film venue · 1937
Cinema exhibition
The building was originally established as a large cinema for film screenings and public entertainment. Its scale and amenities made it one of the leading cinema venues in 1930s Palestine.
Cultural entertainment · 1937
Arab cultural performances
During its early period, the Alhambra also hosted prominent Arab singers and performers, including Umm Kulthum, Farid al-Atrash and Leila Mourad, giving it importance beyond regular film exhibition.
Live theatre · 1963
Independent theatre
From 1963, Giora Godik operated the site as an independent theatre. This phase repositioned the building from a cinema toward live stage entertainment while retaining the Alhambra name.
Institutional center · 2012
Ideal Center of Scientology for the Middle East
Following restoration and refurbishment, the building reopened in 2012 as a regional center for the Church of Scientology. This is its documented contemporary institutional use rather than a cinema or theatre offering.
Brand decisions
2010
Purchase by the Church of ScientologyM&ABackground
The historic building had undergone decades of alterations and had no longer functioned consistently as a cinema or theatre.
Action taken
The Church of Scientology purchased the property and initiated restoration and refurbishment.
Aftermath
The restored building reopened in 2012 as the Ideal Center of Scientology for the Middle East.
1963
Conversion from cinema to independent theatreStrategyBackground
The venue's entertainment role was changing when impresario Giora Godik took over the building.
Action taken
Godik converted the cinema into an independent theatre and reinstated the Alhambra name.
Aftermath
The building continued as a public performance venue before later falling into disuse.
Sources1 sources
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