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.
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.
On this page 3 sections
The legendary cradle of Comorian Islam
According to tradition, it was from Ntsaoueni that Mtswa Mwindza set out, the man said to have brought Islam back from Arabia to the archipelago. This story, more legendary than historical, makes the town one of the high places of the religious memory of the Comoros. Its mosques are among the oldest on the island.
The rampart
Like other towns on the coast, Ntsaoueni surrounded itself with a stone wall to protect itself from raids. Today the rampart mainly protects the town from the heavy swells of the Indian Ocean. It makes a fine walk facing the open sea.
On the road north
Ntsaoueni is easy to visit by combining the north-west coastal road with the beaches of Mitsamiouli and Lac Salé.
Approximate location.
Other places on Grande Comore
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.