The palace of Mawana is an old ruins of the prestigious sultan palace of Anjouan island
History of Mawana, Sultan of the Island of Anjouan
Sultan Abdallah III, also known as Mawana, played a key role in the development of the island of Anjouan in the 19th century. He built a palace in Bambao, surrounded by a large park, and opened the island to progress by developing a sugarcane plantation. In 1882, he signed the Anglo-Anjouan treaty for the abolition of slavery. After the abolition of slavery, he transformed the island into a center for perfume production, such as jasmine and ylang-ylang. The Mawana Palace, built in Bambao, became a symbol of the island's history and heritage, but it was destroyed by a fire in 2017, resulting in a huge loss for the heritage.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, Sultan Abdallah III, known as Mawana or King of Anjouan, had a palace built on the plain of Bambao surrounded by a large park, facing the sea, on the hill. An enlightened monarch open to progress, he decided to develop a sugar cane plantation in Bambao, as Sunley had done in Pomony and Wilson in Patsy. For the needs of the plantations, the three planters used a slave workforce.
In 1882, the Sultan signed the Anglo-Anjouan Treaty for the Abolition of Slavery at the Bambao Palace with Frederic Holwood, a British chargé d'affaires. With the decline of sugar cane and above all, after the abolition of slavery which was his main source of income, the sultan was convinced by French colonists to replace sugar cane with perfume plants such as jasmine, ylang ylang, mimosa and basil.
In 1893, the planters Bouin and Regouin took control of the former property of the sultan in Anjouan, and in 1907 created the
The Bambao Colonial Company allied with the perfumer Chiris. The sugar refinery was replaced by a distillery producing perfume essences such as ylang-ylang and jasmine. Flowers are part of social life and are invited to all official or private gatherings, such as weddings. Jasmine, arranged in a necklace, is offered to distinguished guests or the newlyweds. Daily, women have the habit of adorning themselves with flowers. They wear jasmine in their hair and, in necklace form, flower buds (ylang-ylang, jasmine, rose, fresh cloves, scented basil, etc.). To supply themselves, they made a habit of going to Bambao. The tradition of gathering flowers continues to exist despite the disappearance of gardens. Women have developed craft activities making necklaces
