European navies established a lot of naval forts all across the Indian Ocean to protect their trade route to India. Most of these forts were built on the dissolute islands along the Africa’s eastern coast and most of them are still in a pretty good shape. They are a perfect place to observe the colonial era European architecture in Africa and none will be a better example of these forts than the ones built by Portuguese in 16^th century in the island of Mozambique. The whole town, its fort and the fort built on the neighboring small Laurent Island are a part of the Unesco’s world heritage sites and thousands of visitors head to the area to pay homage to the extensive effort and the brilliant artisanship applied by the Portuguese builders.

The whole structure of the fort was built in different eras but the first European settlement was created here in the early 16^th century by the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco de Gama. The area was initially inhabited by the Buntu tribal people but the first permanent settlement was created by the Arabs who colonized the area and made it a prospering trade port. The first fort called St. Gabriel was built in 1607 and till the 17^th century the fortifications and the town itself has became the most important and prospering colony for Portugal. The last decades of the 17^th century saw a decline in the importance of the area because the Portuguese has lost most of their colonies in India and the rest of Asia to the British and French. The 18^th century saw a boom in the economy of the colony but is considered as the darkest chapter of the history of the area for the very reason of its boom, human slavery was rampant in Mozambique at that time and it was considered as the most lucrative trade commodity of all.

Mozambique Island Resort

Currently the island is inhabited by more than 16000 people and is connected to the mainland by a concrete bridge. If you are flying from outside the country then the best option will be to take a cheap flight to Maputo and make the rest of the journey by road which takes about two hours. The Mozambique Island of the present time is an excellent mix of the Portuguese and Swahili architecture; you will find the old fortifications called the Stone Town to the south of island while the northern end is inhabited by the local Swahili people.

The whole island is a sight to witness but the museum in the Stone town is a must see for a tourist, it will provide you extensive information about the history of the place. Another place worth visiting is the old fort on the northern tip of the island, within its walls you will find the oldest European building in Africa called the church of Nossa Senhora du Bulharte which dates back to 1522.

Leaving the architecture and the history attached to it aside, the island itself is a great vacation spot. It has all the ingredients for being a tropical paradise, mild climate, sandy beach and turquoise waters. You can just lie down on its sands and enjoy a relaxing vacation or if you have a license then you can dive in its famous diving area around the northern tip of the island.