Moroni is the capital of the semi-autonomous island of Ngazidja, or Grande Comore, the largest of the three main islands of the republic. Despite the city retaining a traditional Arabic appearance, the city has most of the modern commercial and manufacturing facilities of the country, in that it is the federal capital and seat of the government of the Union of Comoros. The Badjanani mosque, built-in 1427, is a testament to the city’s original wealth of a well-established town, engaged in trade networks throughout the Indian Ocean.