Island of Mozambique

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Island of Mozambique*
UNESCO World Heritage Site

State Party	Mozambique
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv, vi
Reference	599
Region†	Africa
Inscription History
Inscription	1991 (15th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Island of Mozambique (Portuguese: Ilha de Moçambique) lies off northern Mozambique, between the Mozambique Channel and Mossuril Bay. It has a population of around 14,000 people and is part of Nampula Province.

The Island of Mozambique is situated near Nacala harbour town in Nampula Province

The island was a major Arab port and boatbuilding centre long before Vasco da Gama visited in 1498. The Portuguese established a port and naval base as early as 1507, while the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, built in 1522, is considered the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere.

During the sixteenth century, the Fort of São Sebastião (also: St. 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 and is now a World Heritage Site. 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.

With the opening of the Suez canal, the island's fortunes waned. In 1898, the capital was relocated to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) on the mainland. By the middle of the twentieth century, the new harbour of Nacala took most of the remaining business.

Other notable buildings on the island include the Palace and Chapel of São Paulo, built in 1610, now a museum; the Museum of Sacred Art, housed in the former hospital of the Holy 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 3km bridge 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 metre 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.