Update on 2010 Watch Site Ujumbe Palace in the Comoros

The palace of Ujumbe is situated in Mutsamudu, the capital city of Anjouan, the second main island in the Union of Comoros.

Built in the eighteenth century by King Abdallah I, improved and embellished up to the nineteenth century, the palace had been the political centre of the island and had played a major part in the history of the Comoros.

It became the symbol of the powerful sultanates that had flourished in Anjouan and had established varied economic and cultural links within the Swahili area and with remoter powers such as Great Britain, America, and France. Historic agreements and treaties of major importance such as on slavery or settlements were signed in the palace.

The palace had been decaying for many years because of neglect and misuse until it partially collapsed in May 2008; fortunately, this awful event has aroused a new awareness of the importance of the national heritage and the risk of it disappearing if nothing is done.

Sensitized about the danger of total collapsing of Ujumbe, the WMF inscribed this monument on the list of endangered monuments in the world in October 2009. This act started a true resuscitation of the Comorian heritage: not only was Ujumbe recognized on the world level and a new light was cast on the whole of Comorian heritage, but the Comorians themselves—among them the Comorian government—were lifted to the ideal of preserving their own culture.

Thanks to WMF, the project of saving Ujumbe has received support and donations from generous sponsors such as UNESCO and the American Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation in order to undertake the task of safeguarding and restoring this cultural Comorian jewel.

The project also helped establish cooperation between the old town of Mutsamudu in Anjouan with the Stone Town Conservation and Development Authority experts of its counterpart Swahili town of Zanzibar.

We are grateful to the WMF for having pressed the starter and opened the door. Although much remains to be done and large funds to be found for the preservation and restoration of the Comorian heritage, this new interest and awareness among Comorian youngsters inside and outside the country and among all Comorians and friends will help us leap forward.

The next tremendous step forward for preserving the Comorian heritage will be its acknowledgement as a part of UNESCO world heritage.