Mosquée

Christmas Day is not a public holiday in the Comoros so life continues as normal. I wanted to do something to mark the day, ideally involving a swimming pool or the ocean, so I repeated yesterday’s trip to Trou du Prophète and lounged on the beach for a few hours.

I returned to Moroni at around sunset to appreciate the city’s most iconic scene, the Ancienne Mosquée de Vendredi (Old Friday Mosque). It occupies a spot above a very small, crowded and dilapidated harbour filled with rusting and capsized boats. It makes an exciting playground for kids judging by the frenzied whoops.

Where in many other towns seagulls fly over, in Moroni it is fruit bats. Around sunset they are very active. I sat on a wall to enjoy the pink colours and tropical air in this atmospheric part of Moroni.