Past sweets of Soulou

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former sugar factory of Soulou, located in M的Tsangamouji on the island of Mayotte, is an agricultural estate created in 1856 as part of the intensive exploitation of sugar cane in the nineteenth century. Extending over 400 hectares, it illustrates Mayotte's economic boom linked to this crop, before being partially destroyed by a cyclone in 1898. The site consists of two distinct areas: the production buildings (factory, warehouse, basalt dock) and the master house with the workers village, separated by a road.

In 1880, the estate belonged to Jean-Baptiste Aguier, whose inventory after death was kept at the Archives de Mayotte. Industrial remains include a steam boiler, a cane mill (dismantled), hydro-extractors, and a chimney with a carneau. The wharf and warehouse, located by the sea, testify to the port activity related to the export of sugar. The site has been listed as historical monuments since 2016 and selected in 2018 by Stéphane Bern for the Heritage Lotto.

The official protection covers the master's house (with its communes), the former warehouse (including the sea landing), and the remains of the central factory with its machinery. These elements reflect the social and technical organization of the 19th century Mahoran sugar farms, where owners, agricultural workers and industrial infrastructure lived. The estate, now a mixed property (state, private), remains a rare testimony of this island agro-industrial heritage.

External links