Moroni Old Town Medina & Arab-Swahili Waterfront
Wander through Moroni's ancient medina — a labyrinth of coral stone alleys, carved Swahili doors, and whitewashed mosques built by Arab traders over a thousand years
- 1
Moroni's Old Port
The Crescent Port where tree hoars from Madagascar, Tanzania and Arabia still dock and trade vanilla, ylang-ylang and cloves just as they have for centuries
- 2
Ancienne Mosquée du Vendredi
The Friday Mosque – Moroni's oldest, with its distinctive striped stone minaret – is among the most beautiful examples of Swahili-Islamic architecture in the Indian Ocean
- 3
Carved wooden doors Quarter
The medina's most prized feature is its collection of intricately carved wooden doors - each a status symbol whose detailing once signaled a family's wealth
- 4
Coral Stone House Alleyways
The narrow alleys between tall coral houses are cool and shaded even at noon — the traditional Arab urban planning perfection of passive ventilation in the tropics
- 5
Place de France & Corniche
The promenade at the edge of the medina where men gather in the evenings and the smell of grilled fish mingles with the breeze from the Indian Ocean
- 6
Medina Spice Market
A small covered market inside the medina sells vanilla beans, ylang-ylang oil, cinnamon bark and cloves - the aromatic heartbeat of the Comorian economy