Comoros history: from sultanates to independence
The history of the Comoros is best read through its towns. UNESCO describes settlement cores from at least the 11th century, which grew into city-states in the 14th and 15th centuries and later into sultanate centres. That framework is solid. The waves of settlement and origin stories are not precisely dated, and we repeat no legend of ancient conquest.
Since 2026 these towns form the World Heritage site "Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros". Moroni, Mutsamudu and Domoni are components. Inscription says nothing about opening times or access to houses and mosques.
Our take: the Mutsamudu medina
This 8-day route includes a visit to the Mutsamudu medina and citadel, a chance to see a historic site, without a history-focused guide.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided Mount Karthala hike
To go deeper into Grande Comore, there is a guided day on Mount Karthala with a local guide and hotel pickup. It is not a history tour.
Protectorate, colony and independence
Milestones of the French period.
ONTC gives a French protectorate in 1886, colony status in 1912 and a declaration of independence on 6 July 1975. These are historical milestones with no bearing on what you can visit today. To see what the islands offer visitors, start from the page on things to do in the Comoros.
Mayotte: two positions
The facts, without judgment.
The French Ministry of Overseas Territories describes the independence referendum of 22 December 1974, in which Mayotte voted differently from the other three islands, and a further vote in February 1976. Since 31 March 2011 Mayotte has been a French department. Article 6 of the Comorian constitution counts Maoré among the islands of the Union. That is the Comorian constitutional position, not a description of the administration in force.
Both positions exist and this guide takes no side. Mayotte is not covered by this site, which deals with Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli.
The Anjouan crisis and the reorganisation
A timeline that differs by source.
Sources disagree on the date of Anjouan's separation. The French foreign ministry country profile gives 1996, while the IMF dates the declaration of independence to August 1997. We leave both dates visible. The IMF then documents the Fomboni agreements of 2000 and 2001 and a new constitution in December 2001.
The French profile describes a five-year rotation of the presidency between the islands after 2001, and a reform in 2018. Do not assume the original rotation still applies unchanged. For the town of Mutsamudu, read the Anjouan page.
What the sources do not settle
Limits worth knowing.
Some questions remain open in the documents we used. There is no exact chronology of the earliest settlement, no secure construction date for each sultanate building, and no full legal analysis of how the presidential rotation works today. We also avoid the tales of Phoenician or Egyptian conquest that circulate online, because none of our sources supports them.
For a visit this means one thing: use history as background and not as a promise. A town can be inscribed by UNESCO without a house, mosque or museum being open to you on a given day. Ask locally, keep dress and behaviour respectful, and read the page on people and language before you go.
Reading history as you travel
Where to go next.
Comoros history: frequently asked questions
When did the Comoros become independent?
Independence was declared on 6 July 1975, after the 1886 protectorate and colony status from 1912.
What does UNESCO say about early history?
It describes settlement cores from at least the 11th century, city-states in the 14th and 15th centuries and later sultanates. Exact dates of settlement are not established.
What is the status of Mayotte?
Mayotte has been a French department since 31 March 2011. Article 6 of the Comorian constitution counts it among the islands of the Union. Both positions coexist.
When did Anjouan separate?
The date varies: 1996 in the French country profile, August 1997 according to the IMF.
Is this an official site?
No. It is independent, neither the ONTC nor the government of the Union of the Comoros.