The Arab medina of Anjouan — stone citadel alleys, ylang-ylang perfume, and the forgotten island of the Comoros
Mutsamudu is the capital of Anjouan (Nzwani), the second-largest island of Comoros — and it holds the most intact Arab-African medina in the Indian Ocean world outside of Zanzibar and the Yemeni coast. The old city is a dense warren of coral-stone alleys, overhanging carved wooden balconies, and whitewashed mosques built into a hillside citadel that dates to the 17th century. Anjouan is the centre of Comoros' ylang-ylang distillation industry — the island produces a significant portion of the world's ylang-ylang essential oil, used in perfumes including Chanel No. 5, and the scent permeates t…
Anjouan was settled by Shirazi Persians and Arab traders from around the 7th century CE, and its position on Indian Ocean shipping lanes between Madagascar, East Africa, and Arabia made it one of the most cosmopolitan small islands in the ocean. The Sultanate of Anjuan was established formally in the 17th century and maintained its own distinct political identity, at times as a rival to the other Comorian islands. French protectorate status was established in 1886. The postcolonial period has been turbulent: Anjouan declared independence from Comoros in 1997 and was only reintegrated by Afric…