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The Island of Mozambique in Mozambique is recognized as a World Heritage Site. Having been inhabited and in consistent use since the 16th century, the island has developed a fortified city protecting it and its maritime trade. Today the Island of Mozambique has a population of 14,000 people. It is within the Nampula Province in Mozambique.
Human habitation of the island of Mozambique goes back to prehistoric times. The local people are a Bantu tribe. In the 10th century the island was occupied by Arab traders. Then in the 15th century, the Portuguese arrived. The first Portuguese explore to land on the island of Mozambique was Bartholomeu Dias. Following in his path were other Portuguese navigators including Vasco da Gama.
The island of Mozambique, as seen from Fort São Sebastião
Author: Stig Nygaard (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
By the time of the Portuguese arrival, the Arabs had turned th island of Mozambique into a port and ship-building center. The Portuguese then captured the island from the Arabs and built their own port and naval base there in 1507. In 1522 they built the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, which stands as the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere. Following that, they built the Fort São Sebastião and set up a mission base.
Today the remains of the Portuguese fortifications on the island of Mozambique remains well preserved. It reflects a fusion of local traditions and Portuguese architectural influences, along with influences from India and Arabia, to a lesser degree.
Island of Mozambique was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 15th session of the World Heritage Committee in Carthage, Tunisia, on 9 - 13 December, 1991.
World Heritage Site Inscription Details
Location: S15 2 3.012 E40 44 8.988Inscription Year: 1991
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X
Return to Mozambique's World Heritage Sites
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