Ibo Island in the Quirimbas Archipelago: An Architectural Heritage within a Natural Heritage

This paper presents the method adopted in the study of Ibo, a small island of the Quirimbas Archipelago in northern Mozambique. Ibo is part of a larger study, begun in 2004 which is still ongoing. In the first phase, the author’s attention was focused on the restoration of the historic architecture built with coral limestone. But very soon it became evident that it was necessary to study the context in which these coral architectures were built. After a few years of careful observation, it was apparent that coral stone architecture is strongly conditioned by the knowledge and conservation of the natural environment in which it is built. And in the case of Ibo, the beauty of its heritage and its conservation lies in the delicate balance between architecture and nature.