An Arab-Swahili port below an active volcano
Moroni is the capital of the Comoros, on the west coast of Grande Comore. Its medina is a maze of narrow lanes and carved doors behind the old harbour, where the Old Friday Mosque, with its white arcades, faces the sea. The island is dominated by Mount Karthala, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world, which can be climbed in a long day or overnight. Vanilla, cloves and ylang-ylang grow on the island, and black-sand and white-sand beaches lie along the coast.