An old Swahili-Portuguese island capital
The Island of Mozambique is a small coral island off the northern coast, joined to the mainland by a long bridge. It was a Swahili trading post before becoming the capital of Portuguese East Africa for centuries. The northern Stone Town has colonial mansions, churches and the Palace of São Paulo, while the Fortress of São Sebastião, begun in the 16th century, guards the island's tip. The Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte is among the oldest European buildings in the southern hemisphere. The southern Macuti Town has thatched houses.