Moroni

Moroni, the capital of the Comoros on the island of Grande Comore, is a small, atmospheric port city set dramatically at the foot of the great volcano Mount Karthala, where the Indian Ocean laps an old harbour. Its heart is the medina, a labyrinth of narrow, winding lanes and whitewashed coral-stone houses reflecting the islands' deep Swahili and Arab heritage, dotted with mosques, most notably the historic Ancienne Mosquée du Vendredi, the Old Friday Mosque, beside the harbour. Blending African, Arab and French colonial influences, fragrant with spices and ylang-ylang, and utterly off the tourist trail, Moroni offers an authentic taste of the little-visited archipelago.

History

The early history of Moroni is uncertain, but by the middle of the second millennium it was a well-established town in the trade networks of the Indian Ocean, and the Badjanani mosque, built in 1427, reflects its wealth at the time of the golden age of other Swahili cities. With the neighbouring royal capital Ikoni it was one of the two centres of the kingdom of Bambao, and when the Sultan of Bambao, Said Ali ibn Said Omar, signed a protectorate treaty with France in 1886 his town became the seat of the colonial administration of the island. In 1958 Moroni still had only 6,545 people, but that year the capital of the archipelago was moved here from Dzaoudzi on Mayotte, and it slowly grew into the largest city in the country (Wikipedia, Moroni, Comoros).

What's there

• The medina - the whitewashed old town of winding lanes.
• The Old Friday Mosque - the historic harbourside mosque.
• The old harbour - the port and dhows beneath the volcano.
• The markets - the spice and ylang-ylang scented markets.

When to go

May to October, the cooler, drier season, for the most comfortable weather to explore the medina and harbour; the city is best wandered on foot in the cooler morning and evening hours. It is the arrival point and base for exploring Grande Comore and the other islands.

What to expect

As an atmospheric, genuinely off-the-beaten-path island capital of medina lanes and coral mosques beneath a volcano, Moroni is an evocative and characterful base.

Nearby

Mount Karthala, the coast of Grande Comore and the other islands are within reach.

Key facts