The Island of Mozambique ( pt, Ilha de Moçambique) lies off northern

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

, between the

Mozambique Channel The Mozambique Channel (french: Canal du Mozambique, mg, Lakandranon'i Mozambika, pt, Canal de Moçambique) is an arm of the Indian Ocean located between the Southeast African countries of Madagascar and Mozambique. The channel is about l ...

and Mossuril Bay, and is part of Nampula Province. Prior to 1898, it was the capital of colonial

Portuguese East Africa Portuguese Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique) or Portuguese East Africa (''África Oriental Portuguesa'') were the common terms by which Mozambique was designated during the period in which it was a Portuguese colony. Portuguese Mozambique originally ...

. With its rich history and sandy beaches, the Island of Mozambique is a

UNESCO World Heritage site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

and one of Mozambique's fastest-growing tourist destinations. It has a permanent population of approximately 14,000 people and is served by nearby

Lumbo Airport Lumbo Airport is an airport serving Lumbo, Mozambique and the island of Mozambique. See also *Transport in Mozambique Modes of transport in Mozambique include rail, road, water, and air. There are rail links serving principal cities and con ...

on the Nampula mainland. The name of the country, Mozambique, is derived from the name of this island.

History

Pottery found on Mozambique Island indicates that the town was founded no later than the fourteenth century. According to tradition, the original Swahili population came from

Kilwa Kilwa Kisiwani (English: ''Kilwa Island'') is an island, national historic site, and hamlet community located in the township of Kilwa Masoko, the district seat of Kilwa District in the Tanzanian region of Lindi Region in southern Tanzania. Ki ...

. The town's rulers had links with the rulers of both

Angoche Angoche is a district, city and municipality located in Nampula Province in north-eastern Mozambique. The district has limits in the North with Mogincual District, in the South with Larde District, to the east with the Indian Ocean and to the we ...

and

Quelimane Quelimane () is a seaport in Mozambique. It is the administrative capital of the Zambezia Province and the province's largest city, and stands from the mouth of the Rio dos Bons Sinais (or "River of the Good Signs"). The river was named when Va ...

by the fifteenth century. In 1514, Duarte Barbosa noted that the town had a Muslim population and that they spoke the same Swahili dialect as Angoche. The name of the island ( pt, Moçambique, pronounced ) is derived from Ali Musa Mbiki (

Mussa Bin Bique Mussa Bin Bique ( ar, موسى بن بيك), other names ''Musa Al Big'' or ''Mossa Al Bique'' or ''Mussa Ben Mbiki'' or ''Mussa Ibn Malik'', was ruler of the Island of Mozambique and wealthy merchant, before the Portuguese Portuguese may refer to ...

), sultan of the island in the times of Vasco da Gama. This name was subsequently taken to the mainland country which is modern-day

, and the island was renamed ''Ilha de Moçambique'' (Island of Mozambique). The Portuguese established a port and

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that u ...

in 1507 and built the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte in 1522, now considered the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere. During the 16th century, the Fort São Sebastião was built, and the Portuguese settlement (now known as '' Stone Town'') became the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

. The island also became an important

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

centre. It withstood Dutch attacks in 1607 and 1608 and remained a major post for the Portuguese on their trips to India. It saw the trading of

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

spices A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices are ...

, and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

. Apart from the ancient fortifications, only half of the town is stone-built. The hospital, a majestic neo-classical building constructed in 1877 by the Portuguese, with a garden decorated with ponds and fountains, was repainted white after the

Mozambican Civil War The Mozambican Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Moçambicana) was a civil war fought in Mozambique from 1977 to 1992. Like many regional African conflicts during the late twentieth century, the Mozambican Civil War possessed local dynamics but was a ...

. For many years, it was the biggest hospital south of the Sahara.Patrick Lagès
The island of Mozambique

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

Courier, May, 1997. With the opening of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popula ...

, the island's fortunes waned. In 1898, the capital was moved to Lourenço Marques (now

Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a population of 1,0 ...

) on the mainland. By the middle of the 20th century, the new harbour of

Nacala Nacala, also known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto is a city on the northern coast of Mozambique. Located in the southwestern indentation of inner Fernao Veloso Bay, it is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. Nacala serves as ...

took most of the remaining business.

Attractions

Other notable buildings on the island include the Palace and Chapel of São Paulo, built in 1640 as a Jesuit College and subsequently used as the Governor's Residence, now a museum; the Museum of Sacred Art, housed in the Church of the Misericórdia run by the House of Mercy, displaying an excellent Makonde

crucifix A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (La ...

; the Church of Santo António; the Church of the Misericórdia; and the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte. The island, now entirely urbanised, is also home to several

mosques A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...

and a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hin ...

. A 3 km

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

was erected in the 1960s to connect it to the mainland. The island in itself is not very big, about 3 km long and between 200 and 500 metres wide. Most historical buildings are at the island's northern end. The majority of the residents live in reed houses in ''Makuti Town'' at the southern end of the island.

Gallery

File:1598 Mosambique Kaerius.jpg, A map engraved by

Pieter van den Keere Pieter van den Keere ( la, Petrus Kaerius 1571 – c. 1646) was a Flemish engraver, publisher and globe maker who worked for the most part of his career in England and the Dutch Republic. Life He was born in Ghent, son of engraver Hendrik van den ...

in 1598 File:PRIOR(1819) Chart of the Harbour of Mozambique.jpg, Chart of the Harbour in 1810 File:Mozambique Island Bridge.jpg, The

Mozambique Island Bridge Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

File:Island of Mozambique - Former Colonial Government Residence.gif, Old Hospital File:Church_of_San_Antonio.png, Church of Santo António Beach cleaning.jpg, Beach cleaning File:Island of Mozambique - Makuti Town.gif, Makuti Town The island is also close to two tourist highlights: Chocas Mar, a long beach about 40 km north of Ilha de Moçambique across the Mossuril Bay and Cabaceiras.

References

*O.J.O. Ferreira, ''Ilha de Moçambique byna Hollands: Portuguese inbesitname, Nederlandse veroweringspogings en die opbloei en verval van Mosambiek-eiland.'' Gordonsbaai & Jeffreysbaai: Adamastor: 2010 *Malyn Newitt, ''Mozambique Island: The Rise and Decline of an East African Coastal City, 1500–1700''. An article from Portuguese Studies.

External links

*
World Heritage SiteWebsite managed by the Community Multimedia Center of the Ilha de Mozambique
{{Authority control

World Heritage Sites in Mozambique Geography of Nampula Province Swahili city-states Tourist attractions in Nampula Province 1507 establishments in the Portuguese Empire