April - June 2017 •
The Lion King
• 27
COUNTRY FOCUS
middle of the 19th century, the fort
was used variously by Dutch settlers
for carrying on the slave trade and
as a fully-fledged place of defence
against pirate marauders. Today, it
is put to good use as a combined
military museum-type attraction and
exhibition space, complemented by
the interior gardens. It tells a very inter-
esting story about both the struggle
against Portuguese Colonialism, and
the disastrous civil war that ended in
the early 1990’s.
Cahora Bassa Dam:
Cahora Bassa is an impressive dam
that was built on the Zambezi River
system in the late sixties. Situated
near to Songo in the Tete Province of
Mozambique, the dam is of epic pro-
portions, being more than 170 metres
/ 558 feet in height and just over 300
metres / 984 feet in width, serving as
the principal hydroelectric scheme
currently operating in Southern Africa.
This is one of three sizeable dams
based on the river. The lake itself is
simply vast, rating as Africa’s fourth-
biggest artificial lake, and measures
in at some 250 km / 155 miles long by
38 km / 23 miles wide. Visitors are wel-
come, although it must be arranged
in advance.
The Bazaruto Archipelago:
The Bazaruto Archipelago has clear,
turquoise waters filled with colorful fish,
and offers diving, snorkeling and bird-
ing. It makes a fine upmarket holiday
if you’re looking for the quintessential
Indian Ocean getaway.
The archipelago consists of five main
islands: Bazaruto, Benguera (also
spelled Benguerra, and formerly
known as Santo António), Magaruque
(Santa Isabel), Santa Carolina
(Paradise Island or Ilha do Paraíso)
Gorongoza National Park
Photo Credit: gorongosa.org
Photo Credit: gorongosa.org
Tower fame in Paris), although Eiffel
himself never set foot in Mozambique.
Also impressive are the wrought-iron
latticework, pillars and verandas grac-
ing the dark-green exterior. Inside is
the Kulungwana Espaço Artístico, with
a small exhibition of works by local
and visiting artists, and sculptures and
paintings for sale. It is considered one
of the world’s wonder buildings.
Maputo Catholic Cathedral:
Design inspired by Notre-Dame du
Raincy in Le Raincy (1921-1923) and
constructed in 1944, the Maputo
Catholic Cathedral is located in the
city centre. It is one of the landmarks
of Maputo.
The Iron House in Maputo:
Close by the Tunduru Garden, this
house is exactly what it is - Steel!
Gustave Eiffel designed this steel bolt-
ed building to be a governor’s house.
Unfortunately, this house was never
inhabited by the Governor due to the
high temperatures because of Iron.
It is now the office of the Museums
Department.
City Hall:
City Hall (Conselho Municipal) houses
the Mayor’s Chambers or in colonial
days, the Governor. It is a distinctive
rather austere building in a classical
style of those times. It was completed
in 1945 and had the words “Aqui é
Portugal” (This is Portugal) inscribed on
the outside front of the building. These
have subsequently been removed.
The Fortress:
Maputo’s fortress is perhaps one of
the city’s best-known monuments. In
terms of its structure, it is like many
other Portuguese-commissioned mili-
tary outposts in Africa. Built in the
