Historically significant island off the northeastern coast of Mozambique
The
Island of Mozambique
(
Portuguese
:
Ilha de Mocambique
) lies off northern
Mozambique
, between the
Mozambique Channel
and Mossuril Bay, and is part of
Nampula Province
.
[1]
Prior to 1898, it was the capital of colonial
Portuguese East Africa
.
[2]
With its rich history and sandy beaches, the Island of Mozambique is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
and one of Mozambique's fastest-growing tourist destinations.
[1]
It has a permanent population of approximately 14,000 people and is served by nearby
Lumbo Airport
on the Nampula mainland. The name of the country, Mozambique, is derived from the name of this island.
History
[
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]
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
. The town's rulers had links with the rulers of both
Angoche
and
Quelimane
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.
[3]
The name of the island (
Portuguese
:
Mocambique
, pronounced
[mus???biki]
) is derived from Ali Musa Mbiki (
Mussa Bin Bique
), sultan of the island in the times of Vasco da Gama. This name was subsequently taken to the mainland country which is modern-day
Mozambique
, and the island was renamed
Ilha de Mocambique
(Island of Mozambique). The Portuguese established a port and
naval base
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 Sao Sebastiao
was built, and the Portuguese settlement (now known as
Stone Town
) became the
capital
of
Portuguese East Africa
. The island also became an important
missionary
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
,
spices
, and
gold
.
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
. For many years, it was the biggest hospital south of the Sahara.
[4]
With the opening of the
Suez Canal
, the island's fortunes waned. In 1898, the capital was moved to Lourenco Marques (now
Maputo
) on the mainland. By the middle of the 20th century, the new harbour of
Nacala
took most of the remaining business.
Attractions
[
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]
Other notable buildings on the island include the Palace and Chapel of Sao 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 Misericordia run by the House of Mercy, displaying an excellent
Makonde
crucifix
; the Church of Santo Antonio; the Church of the Misericordia; and the
Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte
. The island, now entirely urbanised, is also home to several
mosques
and a
Hindu temple
. A 3 km
bridge
was erected in the 1960s to connect it to the mainland.
The island in itself is not large, 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
[
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]
The island is also close to two tourist highlights:
Chocas Mar
, a long beach about 40 km north of Ilha de Mocambique across the Mossuril Bay and Cabaceiras.
See also
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]
References
[
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]
- O.J.O. Ferreira,
Ilha de Mocambique 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
[
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]