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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Petite Terre barracks, built in 1845 on the rock of Dzaoudzi, is an emblematic military building of Mayotte, French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean. This building, registered with the Historical Monuments by order of 11 May 2016, was reconverted in 2015 to host the Museum of Mayotte (MuMA), dedicated to the cultural, historical and environmental heritage of the island. Owned by the department, it serves as a temporary place before the museum was transferred to the former residence of the Governor, currently in restoration.

The MuMA, inaugurated in 2015 and labeled Musée de France in December 2018, offers temporary exhibitions and events such as Heritage Days or Museum Nights. These events highlight the Maori heritage, both material (traditional jewellery, cannons, village grocery stores) and immaterial (music, plurilingualism, local know-how). The museum also seeks to enhance Mayotte's natural heritage, such as its flora, marine fauna and lagoon, while developing innovative mediation tools, including through artist residences.

The museum project, initiated in 2012 by the Conseil départemental de Mayotte, benefited from the expertise of renowned curators, including Michel Colardelle, co-initiator of MUCEM in Marseille. Colette Foissey and Abdoul-Karim Ben Said, director of the MuMA, helped structure the collections and the scientific project, in a context where Maori cultural transmission traditionally relies on orality. The barracks, located avenue de France in Dzaoudzi, remain a symbol of the transition between colonial heritage and contemporary valorization of local heritage.

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