Umana Yana is the most photographed Amerindian structure in Guyana — a towering palm-thatched cone rising 55 feet over the Kingston foreshore in Georgetown. The name is Wai Wai for "meeting place of the people", and that is exactly what the building has been since it was raised in 80 days for an international summit in 1972. It is also one of the very few buildings in the country with a clear claim to being a National Monument.
The story is unusual: built by Wai Wai craftsmen for a Non-Aligned Movement conference, lost entirely to an electrical fire forty-two years later, and rebuilt — by a different generation of Wai Wai craftsmen, from the same family — only two years after that.
What It Is
Umana Yana is a benab — a traditional Amerindian conical palm-thatched shelter. It is built in the Wai Wai tribal style: dried allibanna and manicole palm leaves forming the roof, wallaba posts holding the frame, lashed together with the natural cordage of the rainforest — mukru, turu and nibbi vines. There are no nails in the structure.
The name's meaning — "meeting place of the people" — is the building's job description. It was made for gathering, and that is still what happens inside it.
The 1972 Build
Guyana hosted the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference from 8 to 12 August 1972, with delegations from 59 member countries. The country needed a venue that signalled both hospitality and identity. The decision was to build a benab — and to have it built by the people whose architecture it actually is.
About 60 Wai Wai men, led by Chief Elka, were transported from Konashen in the Rupununi to Georgetown. The Guyanese architect George Henry designed the structure. Construction took roughly 80 days. Original cost: about $26,000 in 1972 dollars. Original dimensions: 55 feet tall by 26.6 metres in diameter.
The site
Umana Yana sits on High Street in Kingston, Georgetown, on the spot once occupied by the old Mariners' Club. It is adjacent to Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, near the Marriott, with the Atlantic seawall a short walk away.
The 2014 Fire
On the afternoon of 9 September 2014, sometime between 3:25 PM and 3:29 PM, Umana Yana caught fire and burned to the ground. Investigators concluded the cause was electrical: a wire on a post at the top of the structure had ruptured, the strong winds blowing that day sparked it, and the fire spread to the stage.
No one was killed. Two security guards and two staff (a cleaner and a caretaker) were taken to Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment. The structure itself was a total loss.
The 2016 Rebuild
Construction of the new Umana Yana began in late 2015. It was finished in 2016. The work was done by 35 men from the Wai Wai village of Maskenari, in the South Rupununi — a different community but the same people, the same building craft. The team was supervised by Toshao Paul Chekema, nephew of Chief Elka, who had led the 1972 build.
The 1972 roof had used troolie leaves; the 2016 roof uses dhalibanna leaves. The new dimensions are 55 feet tall by 23.5 metres in diameter — slightly narrower than the original, with a floor area of approximately 460 square metres, the largest benab of its kind in Guyana. The rebuild cost was estimated at $106 million. Fire alarms, firefighting equipment, fire-preventative systems, and solar power were added.
It was officially handed over to the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport on 15 July 2016.
National Monument Since 2001
Umana Yana was gazetted as a National Monument in April 2001 alongside the African Liberation Monument — recognition under the National Trust Act, No. 7 of 1972 (the same year the building was raised).
What Happens There Now
It is open to the public and in continuous use — as an exhibition hall, a conference and event venue, a photo spot, and the host of cultural occasions. Recent uses include Amerindian Heritage Month (a 2024 launch event), government receptions, weddings, trade shows, and CARICOM-summit hospitality. There is no published admission fee.
The custodial structure: the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport holds operational responsibility, the National Trust of Guyana manages the heritage designation, and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure led the rebuild work.
Visiting Umana Yana
It is a five-minute drive from central Georgetown, less if you are already on the Kingston foreshore. The structure is open-air and ground-level — you can usually walk in and look up.
- Address — High Street, Kingston ward, Georgetown
- Best light for photos — eastern morning light from the seawall side, and the golden hour as the sun goes down over the Atlantic
- Combine with — the seawall, Promenade Gardens, the National Library, the African Liberation Monument, or a cocktail at Pegasus next door
- Parking — Pegasus Hotel parking lot and street parking around Kingston
- Accessibility — ground-level, open-sided structure, generally wheelchair-accessible
Add Umana Yana to a Georgetown Day
Pair it with the seawall, the National Trust circuit, and the Stabroek/Bourda market walk for a half-day capital tour.
Georgetown GuideWhy It Matters
Most "national" symbols in former-colonial countries inherit the buildings of empire. Umana Yana doesn't. It was built — twice — by the people whose architecture it actually is, and on both occasions it was placed at the centre of Guyana's diplomatic life. Holding a CARICOM reception under a roof tied together with rainforest vine, by Wai Wai hands, is a quiet form of statement.
It is also one of the few buildings in Georgetown where the heritage status, the cultural ownership, the use case, and the upkeep all point in the same direction at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Umana Yana mean?
It is a Wai Wai phrase meaning "meeting place of the people." The structure is a benab — a traditional Amerindian conical palm-thatched shelter — built in Wai Wai style with no nails, lashed wallaba posts, and mukru/turu/nibbi vine cordage.
When was it built?
The original was completed in August 1972, in time for the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference that opened 8 August 1972. About 60 Wai Wai men led by Chief Elka built it in roughly 80 days. Original cost: about $26,000.
What happened in the 2014 fire?
On 9 September 2014, the building burned down. Investigators traced it to an electrical fault — a wire on a post at the top of the structure ruptured, strong winds caused sparks, and the fire spread. No deaths; four hospitalisations.
Who rebuilt it?
35 men from the Wai Wai village of Maskenari, supervised by Toshao Paul Chekema (nephew of the 1972 Chief Elka). The rebuild was completed in 2016 at an estimated cost of $106 million and officially handed to the Ministry of Culture on 15 July 2016.
How big is it?
55 feet tall (~17 m), 23.5 m in diameter, approximately 460 m² in floor area — the largest benab of its kind in Guyana.
Can you visit Umana Yana?
Yes. It is open to the public and used regularly for exhibitions, conferences, weddings, government receptions, and Amerindian Heritage Month events. It sits on High Street in Kingston, adjacent to the Pegasus Hotel. No published admission fee.
Last updated: May 17, 2026. Pair Umana Yana with our Georgetown Guide for a full capital itinerary, or contact us with corrections.