Yann2
As part of our campaign to support countries with less stamps, specially the ones without any Location stamps at all, I went researching about Mozambique, which is located in the East Coast of Africa, just north of South Africa.
And I was fascinated by the picturesque Mozambique Island itself, which is pictured in the aerial photo above.
The
Island of Mozambique
(Portuguese:
Ilha de Moçambique
) lies off northern Mozambique, between the Mozambique Channel and Mossuril Bay, and is part of Nampula Province. Prior to 1898, it was the capital of colonial Portuguese East Africa).
With its rich history and sandy beaches, the Island of Mozambique is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Mozambique's fastest-growing tourist destinations. It has a permanent population of approximately 14,000 people and is served by nearby Lumbo Airport on the Nampula mainland. The name of the country, Mozambique, is derived from the name of this island.
History :
Pottery found on Mozambique Island indicates that the town was founded no later than the fourteenth century. According to tradition, the original Swahili population came from Kilwa. The town's rulers had links with the rulers of both Angoche and Quelimane by the fifteenth century. In 1514, Duarte Barbosa noted that the town had a Muslim population and that they spoke the same Swahili dialect as Angoche.
The name of the island (Portuguese: 
Moçambique
) is derived from Ali Musa Mbiki (Mussa Bin Bique), sultan of the island in the times of Vasco da Gama. This name was subsequently taken to the mainland country which is modern-day Mozambique, and the island was renamed 
Ilha de Moçambique
 (Island of Mozambique). The Portuguese established a port and naval base in 1507 and built the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte in 1522, now considered the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere.
During the 16th century, the Fort São Sebastião was built, and the Portuguese settlement (now known as Stone Town) became the capital of Portuguese East Africa. The island also became an important missionary centre. It withstood Dutch attacks in 1607 and 1608 and remained a major post for the Portuguese on their trips to India. It saw the trading of slaves, spices, and gold.
Apart from the ancient fortifications, only half of the town is stone-built. The hospital, a majestic neo-classical building constructed in 1877 by the Portuguese, with a garden decorated with ponds and fountains, was repainted white after the Mozambican Civil War. For many years, it was the biggest hospital south of the Sahara.
Image Gallery :
Forte de São Sebastião
Forte, another angle
Capela de Nossa Senhora do Baluarte, inside Forte de São Sebastião.
Recognized as the oldest European construction South of the Equator, built in 1522.
Capela de Nossa Senhora do Baluarte, inside Forte de São Sebastião.
Capela de Nossa Senhora do Baluarte, inside Forte de São Sebastião. Internal detail.
Santo António Church, Island of Mozambique
Church of Misericordy, Mozambique Island
Igreja de São Paulo, later the Governor's Palace.
Igreja de São Paulo, later the Governor's Palace. Currently houses two Museums.
Attractions :
Other notable buildings on the island include the Palace and Chapel of São Paulo, built in 1640 as a Jesuit College and subsequently used as the Governor's Residence, now a museum; the Museum of Sacred Art, housed in the Church of the Misericórdia run by the House of Mercy, displaying an excellent Makonde crucifix; the Church of Santo António; the Church of the Misericórdia; and the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte.
The island, now entirely urbanised, is also home to several mosques and a Hindu temple. A 3 km bridge was erected in the 1960s to connect it to the mainland.
The island in itself is not very big, about 3 km long and between 200 and 500 metres wide. Most historical buildings are at the island's northern end. The majority of the residents live in reed houses in 
Makuti Town
 at the southern end of the island.
Mozambique Island was included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List
in 1991.
UNESCO has a nice article about the island on their magazine here.
With so much, and being such a deep part of the History of the country, I feel that Mozambique Island is a worthy candidate for a Location stamp design.
Thank you for reading and for your support! 😎👍