Six historic cities in the Comoros inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at its 48th session currently held in the South Korean city of Busan, approved the inscription of six historic cities in the Comoros on the World Heritage List.

Four of these six cities are located on Grande Comore, and two on Anjouan.

These are the first sites in the Comoros to be inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which currently includes more than 1,200 cultural and natural sites of outstanding universal value as part of humanity’s shared heritage.

These cities bear witness to Swahili architectural traditions and the sultanates of the ancient archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

Some of these city-states were built in the 12th century along Indian Ocean trade routes and feature defensive walls, palaces, mosques, public squares, and a network of narrow alleyways.

Said Mohamed Ali Said, the Comoros Minister of Culture, expressed his country’s pride in this achievement, stating, “These cities are not merely historical sites for us; they are vibrant urban centers where people continue to pray, trade, and celebrate important moments, just as our ancestors did.”

He emphasized the importance of caring for these cities, noting that this designation is not an end in itself but rather a starting point. “This classification changes the rules: it imposes obligations on us, but it also opens up new horizons,” he said.