Did he, or didn’t he? I’m afraid I still don’t know the answer.
Read almost any guidebook on Maputo and you’ll be sure to hear about Monsieur Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Yes, he of Parisian tower fame. Brochures and tour guides love to crow about how Eiffel dreamed up the elegant baroque dome of Maputo’s central railway station, while local historian Antonio Sopa traces the grand rooftop to Johannesburg, where it was – he says – conceived by the company Evans and Plows.
But regardless of who built it, the end of the line from Johannesburg to the city once known Lourenço Marques is certainly one of the most beautiful stations in Africa, and a highlight of any wander through the Mozambican capital. You’ll find an art gallery and delightful restaurant just off the platform, as well as a shop selling wonderful fabrics fashioned from the colourful capulana cloths worn by local women.
As with most big cities, Maputo is a metropolis best discovered on foot. While gleaming new office blocks spring to life on the road north of the city centre, most of the sights worth seeing are found in the compact, and easily walkable, area known as the baixa (pronounced buy-sha).
It’s a colourful part of town young men play table football on pavements, street vendors sell roasted cashews and shoeshine stalls do a roaring trade. Turn your eyes heavenward, and fading Portuguese-era buildings with intricate wrought-iron canopies and broad balconies jostle for space with ‘70s-era concrete tower blocks crying out for of a lick of paint… and none more so than the delightful buildings designed by the city’s most famous architectural son.
Amancio ‘Pancho’ Guedes sculpted much of the Maputo skyline in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, drawing inspiration from the likes of Antonio Gaudi and Frank Lloyd Wright. Guedes designed hundreds of buildings in the dying days of Portuguese control and anyone with an interest in architecture would do well to sign up for a specialised walking tour (see below) of the city, discovering the gems hidden away in the nooks and crannies of the capital.
But a popular stop for tourists is a piece of architecture that didn’t fare too well.
Perhaps the most impractical piece of tropical building work the world has ever seen, the famous Iron House – this time officially designed by Eiffel – was shipped out to present-day Maputo as a residence for the governor of the Portuguese colony. Unsurprisingly, the prefabricated iron building became unbearably hot under the African sun and the governor didn’t spend long in his sweltering abode.
The overheated Governor probably took refuge in the Jardim Tunduru, a few steps from the Casa de Ferro and today guarded by a statue of Mozambique’s first president — Samora Machel. The gardens date back to 1885 and offer a welcome respite from the city heat. Although today they are poorly kept, a major renovation project is on the cards for early 2011.
And there’s certainly a sense of Maputo being a city on the rise. Despite the potholed roads and littered streets, there’s a vibrant energy in the city, and construction cranes on the skyline signal that the economy seems to be booming. Culturally there’s also a vibrant local arts scene, with galleries and artists workshops sprinkled throughout the city.
The Museo Nacional de Arte on Avenida Ho Chi Min has an excellent display of art and sculpture from some of Mozambique’s finest contemporary artists, along with special temporary exhibits. On a smaller scale, the Núcleo de Arte on Rua da Argélia is also worth a look in.
This small cooperative in a rambling colonial house has a permanent gallery of up-and-coming artists, with a few eclectic workshops out back where you can watch the painters and sculptors at work. Keep an eye out for the fascinating ‘guns-into-art’ sculptures. There’s regular live music on Sunday nights (it starts early, at around 6.30pm) as well as a small café-restaurant.
Mozambique’s most celebrated artist – Malangatana Valente Ngwenya – has a dedicated museum and studio outside of the city, but you’ll see his art throughout the city. Two of the best murals are to be found hidden away in the gardens of the popular Natural History Museum, that most tourists visit for a peek at the preserved elephant foetuses showing all 22 months of development.
The building itself is one of the city’s most attractive, and worth a visit in itself, but the grandiose front entrance hides the interesting extension designed by Guedes, along with the two Malangatana murals. It’s also worth popping into the studio of Reinata, Mozambique’s leading ceramic artist, who you’ll find in the outside taxidermy room!
From the museum it’s a long, but pleasant walk back to the baixa along Av. Patrice Lumumba. And if you’re wondering about the street names, the hangover from the days of newfound independence mean that your wanders through the city will also turn into a refresher course on Communist luminaries.
Meander down Avenida Ho Chi Min, pace up Av. Vladimir Lenine and stroll along the scenic Av. Friedrich Engels. Important dates in Mozambique’s history are also commemorated with the likes of Av. 25 de Setembro, 10 de Novembro and 24 de Julho.
The square at Praça 25 de Junho is as good a spot as any to end off a day of wandering, especially on a Saturday. While the nearby Mercado Municipal – brimming with fresh fruit, veg and fish – is open any day of the week, the craft market in the square only trades on Saturdays, and is a great spot for collecting souvenirs and gifts.
There are also great crafts to be found in the historic Fortaleza across the road. Built by the Portuguese in the 18th century, the squat rusty-red fort was some of the first roots put down by the colonizers in a rule that would last for nearly two centuries. Those roots, along with the city’s old name of Lourenço Marques, are all but forgotten now. After centuries of colonialism, and decades of civil war, Mozambique is firmly on the mend and – despite still needing a lick of paint – there’s no doubt that for Maputo the sun is certainly rising on this city be the sea.
SMART TRAVELLER
- Where to stay: With its beachfront location and relaxed atmosphere, leisure travellers and businessmen taking it easy will enjoy the Southern Sun Maputo out on the Avenida da Marginal. Despite offering over 150 rooms, it has the relaxed feel of a smaller hotel, and has the best breakfast in town with front-row views of the sunrise over the Indian Ocean. Visit www.southernsun.com, or call +258 21 495 050. For business travelers who’d prefer to be in the city centre, the four-star Pestana Rovuma hotel is in the heart of Maputo and offers a range of modern rooms and suites. Visit www.pestana.com or call + 258 21 305 000.
- Where to eat: Maputo abounds with great restaurants, and seafood-fans will be in seventh heaven. The Costa do Sol is a Maputo institution, dishing up some of the best food in the city. Don’t miss the Prawns Naçional – it’s not on the menu, but this unusual dish of prawns baked in Laurentina beer is outstanding.
- See the city: If you don’t want to explore Maputo on your own, a number of tour companies offer city tours of the main highlights, as well as excursions further afield to Catembe and Inhaca Island. For specialist tours of Maputo’s unique architecture, contact Jane Flood on
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First published in Indwe magazine, August 2010
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