BAGAMOYO SITE AND POLÉ MOSQUE

Shortly after the path that leads to Lake Dziani Dzaha, on the left, one reaches the site of Bagamayo; a village was settled on the entire stretch of beach at the time (9th-12th centuries); an excavation in the 1980s revealed a lime kiln and its protective ceramic dating from the 11th century. This ceramic element is called the "Bagamoyo vase", and is one of the finest examples of medieval Comorian ceramics discovered to date. The site allows us to understand the origin of the populations that occupied the archipelago. It is thanks to the studies of the researchers on the skulls rejected by the sea that we know that the populations buried on this site were Austronesian, Semitic and Bantu, the latter having teeth cut in point. The mosque was built at the same time as the one in Tsingoni, in 1538, reputed to be the first on the island (it is no longer in use as it is in ruins). This site has become a sacred place, or ziara, for all the Mahorais. On certain evenings, there may be ceremonies to invoke the spirits or "djinns".

In these old stones of more than four centuries, one can still distinguish the two lateral corridors (baraza), framing the courtyard intended for ablutions. The "mihrab", which indicates the direction of Mecca, points north in Mayotte. The site highlights the rapid expansion of Islam, as carbon 14 dating shows that the oldest burials date back to the 9th century.