Moroni, Comoros

Moroni, Comoros

Moroni is the capital of the semi-autonomous island of Ngazidja, the largest of the three main islands of the Comoros republic. The Badjanani mosque, built in 1427, is a testament to the city’s wealth, contemporary with the golden ages of other Swahili cities.

About Moroni, Comoros in brief

Summary Moroni, ComorosMoroni is the capital of the semi-autonomous island of Ngazidja, the largest of the three main islands of the republic. The city’s estimated population in 2003 was 41,557 residents. The Badjanani mosque, built in 1427, is a testament to the city’s wealth, contemporary with the golden ages of other Swahili cities. The 300-seat theatre of the Alliance Franco-Comorienne serves as a venue for national and international performances, ceremonies, conferences, film screenings, and seminars. In 2010, the U.S. Navy’s Seabees constructed Hamramba School in Moroni as a humanitarian project, in partnership with the local military and Comoros’ federal government. Moroni’s average temperatures are relatively high in the range of 32–34°C with a low range of 14–20°C. The monsoon season lasts from November to April during all months of the year.

The average annual rainfall is 2,700 millimetres and it rains on average less than 100 mm on October 1. The island has a rocky volcanic coastline, mostly without beaches. The Karthala volcano is dormant and is also an attraction for hiking when the volcano is not in use. The oldest mosque is the Ancienne Mosquée de Vendredi, which is the oldest mosque in the Medina. The old city centre is similar to but smaller than the old town of Lamu. There are a few hotels and a few nightclubs. The town centre contains a maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings but is poorly maintained. The historic town centre, the Medina, contains a Maze of narrow. alleys, ancient buildings and an old town centre.