Island of Mozambique

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Island of Mozambique
The fortified city of Mozambique is located on this island, a former Portuguese trading-post
on the route to India. Its remarkable architectural unity is due to the consistent use, since the
1th century, of the same building techniques, building materials !stone or macuti" and
decorati#e principles.
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Island of Mozambique + ,ur Place
-ong *escription
The Island of Mozambique bears important .itness to the establishment and de#elopment of
the Portuguese maritime routes bet.een .estern /urope and the Indian subcontinent and
thence all of %sia. The to.n and the fortifications on the island, and on the smaller island of
(t -aurent, are an outstanding e0ample of an architecture in .hich local traditions,
Portuguese influences, and to a some.hat lesser e0tent Indian and %rab influences, are all
inter.o#en.
Inhabited by a 1antu tribe, the territory of Mozambique .as occupied around %* 233 by
%rabs .ho set up trading posts. In their search for a maritime route to India to a#oid Muslim
forces, the Portuguese decided to go around the continent of %frica. 4ing )ohn II !1561-27"
sent 1artolomeu *ias to e0plore the %frican coast. (ailing beyond the coast of the
&ongolese kingdom, the great na#igator rounded the e0treme southern tip of %frica, una.are
of the feat he had accomplished. It .as not until his return that he disco#ered the 8&ape of
(torms8, .hich )ohn II renamed &ape of 9ood :ope.
Manuel I !1527-17;1" ordered <asco da 9ama to continue the search for a maritime route.
-ea#ing -isbon in )uly 152=, he reached the Island of Mozambique on ; March 1526, .here
he .as .ell recei#ed by the sultan and the people, .ho thought the Portuguese .ere
Muslims. *uring his second #oyage, he occupied the territories of present-day Mozambique
and returned to -isbon in 173> laden .ith gold.
(ome years later, Mozambique had become one of Portugal8s principal ports and trading
posts on the sea route to India. The first fortress, (t 9abriel, .as built in 173=. %t the end of
the 1=th century, after en?oying strong economic e0pansion, the to.n .ith its fortifications,
along .ith the smaller island of (t -aurent, .ent into a period of decline. In the second half
of the 16th century, the economy .as re#i#ed by the sla#e trade.
In 1626 the capital of Mozambique !the Portuguese colony" .as transferred to -auren@o
Marques !Maputo", considerably slo.ing do.n the economy of the to.n on the island of
Mozambique. The to.n had de#eloped unequally o#er some 533 years. -ess than half of it
.as built from stone, a little more than a quarter inmacuti !stra.", .ith the remainder being
the #arious fortifications.
The incredible architectural unity of the island deri#es from the uninterrupted use of the same
building techniques .ith the same materials and the same decorati#e principles. The island8s
patrimony also includes its oldest e0tant fortress !(t (ebastian, 1776-1;3", other defensi#e
buildings and numerous religious buildings !including many from the 1th century".
The island has been classed on the national le#el and for about 13 years has benefited from
restoration .ork and studies by international specialists. :o.e#er, .hile the present state of
conser#ation is not fully satisfactory, a restoration and management programme is in
progress.