Grande Comore · Capital
Moroni
A coral medina, a white mosque on the harbour and lively markets: the capital of the Union of the Comoros is best explored on foot, to the rhythm of the ocean.
Ngazidja · The island of the volcano
Grande Comore
The largest and youngest of the four islands lives to the rhythm of its volcano, Karthala. Lava flows, coral medinas, old sultanates and grand marriages: Ngazidja is the political and cultural heart of the Union of the Comoros.
Seen from the sky, Grande Comore looks like a vast lava flow frozen in the ocean. Born of the eruptions of Karthala in the south and of the older Grille massif in the north, it is the youngest island of the archipelago, and the largest. It is home to Moroni, capital of the Union of the Comoros, and to nearly half of the country's population. It is also the island where customary traditions, starting with the grand marriage, are most alive.
Grande Comore
Geography
The island, about 65 km long, is almost entirely volcanic. Karthala (2,361 m), one of the most active volcanoes in the Indian Ocean, occupies its entire southern half; its summit is hollowed out by a caldera several kilometres wide. The highly porous rock soaks up rainwater: the island has almost no permanent rivers. The coastline alternates between black basalt cliffs and white sand beaches, especially in the north, around Mitsamiouli. Geological curiosities: the Lac Salé, a crater of brackish water, and the Trou du Prophète.
Grande Comore
History
For centuries Ngazidja was divided into a dozen rival sultanates (Bambao, Itsandra, Mitsamiouli, Badjini…), whose rulers vied for the title of sultan tibe. Iconi, Itsandra and Ntsaoueni are among the oldest towns. At the end of the 19th century, Sultan Saïd Ali of Bambao unified the island with the support of France, which established its protectorate there in 1886. Moroni became capital of the archipelago in the 1960s, then of the independent state in 1975.
Grande Comore
Culture & traditions
Grande Comore is the land of the anda, the grand marriage that raises a man to the rank of notable. Society there is organised by custom (mila na ntsi) and by age groups. People speak Shingazidja. Prestige dances such as the chigoma, twarab orchestras and processions in embroidered djoho liven up the summers, when the diaspora comes back home.
Grande Comore
Nature
The high-altitude forests of Karthala are home to birds found nowhere else in the world, such as the Karthala scops owl. Off the south-west coast, the underwater caves on the volcanic slopes are the refuge of the coelacanth, protected by the Coelacanth National Park. Turtles visit the beaches of the north.
What to see on Grande Comore
Our detailed guides to the must-see places.
Grande Comore · Volcano
Karthala
One of the largest active craters in the world, at the top of an entire island shaped by fire: the ascent of Karthala is the archipelago's ultimate adventure.
Grande Comore · Beaches
Mitsamiouli and the north
White sand, turquoise water and volcanic curiosities: the north of Grande Comore has the island's most beautiful beaches.
Grande Comore · Former capital
Iconi
South of Moroni, the former capital of a sultanate keeps its mosques, its alleys and the cliff where one of the darkest pages in the island's history was written.
Grande Comore · Heritage
Ntsaoueni
On the north-west coast, the town of Ntsaoueni is associated with the arrival of Islam in the archipelago and is protected by a rampart facing the ocean.
Spots & tips
Volo Volo market, lava and white sand beaches, sultans' towns and little-known villages: our addresses for experiencing Ngazidja like the people who live there.
Volo Volo market
Moroni, Volo Volo district
The capital's great covered market is the best place to experience Moroni unfiltered: seasonal fruit and vegetables, fish, spices, vanilla, colourful fabrics, perfumes, utensils… The stalls spill over into the neighbouring streets, where villagers and town traders rub shoulders.
Tip: Come in the morning, when the choice is widest, with small notes in Comorian francs. For vanilla, choose supple, glossy pods, and compare several stalls before buying.
The medina and old harbour of Moroni
Moroni, seafront
Behind the Friday Mosque and its white minaret, the alleys of the medina wind between stone houses, carved doors and small neighbourhood mosques. The old harbour, where dhows once came ashore, comes to life at the end of the day.
Tip: Cover your shoulders and knees near the mosques, and always ask before photographing someone.
See the place page
Itsandra, beach and city of the sultans
A few kilometres north of Moroni
A former sultanate capital built on a rocky promontory, Itsandra retains sections of ramparts, defensive towers and a palace of lava blocks. Below lies a white-sand beach where Moroni families come to swim at weekends.
Tip: Early in the morning or late in the afternoon, the light is superb and the beach quieter.
The National Museum (CNDRS)
Moroni
Founded in 1979, the National Centre for Documentation and Scientific Research houses the National Museum, opened in 1989: history, archaeology and religion, volcanology, oceanography (with the coelacanth) and anthropology. It also brings together the National Archives and Library and the Karthala observatory.
Tip: An ideal visit at the start of your stay, to understand the island before exploring it, or on a rainy day.
Bouni beach
North of the island
Nestled in dense vegetation, Bouni beach offers white sand, blue water, a few snack bars and a volleyball court: a favourite with local people for family outings.
Tip: On weekdays, you will often have the beach almost to yourself.
Bangoi-Kouni, the beach and the djinns' mosque
North-east of the island
The village is known for its small “miraculous” mosque, which tradition says was built by the djinns in a single night, and for its peaceful beach. Read the legend: The mosque built in one night.
Tip: Combine the visit with nearby Lac Salé.
Public life & institutions
As capital of the Union, Moroni is home to the main institutions. But in every town, power is also shared on the public square, between notables of the grand marriage, age groups and religious figures.
In pictures
