Moroni's old medina is the cultural heart of Ngazidja — a quarter of narrow alleys, carved wooden doors, and whitewashed coral-stone buildings that feels more like coastal East Africa or the Arabian Peninsula than sub-Saharan Africa. The architecture reflects the island's centuries of Arab trading connections: the mosques, the doorways, and the layout all reflect an Islamic urban tradition quite distinct from anything on the African mainland.
The old Friday Mosque (Ancienne Mosquée du Vendredi), dating to 1427, overlooks the harbour at the southern end of the medina. The harbour itself is a working dhow port, with vessels arriving from Tanzania, Madagascar, and the other Comorian islands. Walking the medina's alleys at dusk, when the smell of food cooking mixes with the call to prayer, is the best introduction to Ngazidja's particular character.