Musée de Mayotte, Heritage museum in Dzaoudzi, Mayotte, France.

The Musée de Mayotte occupies the former Petite Terre barracks on the rock of Dzaoudzi, a long two-storey building with pale grey walls, a low-pitched roof and a white gutter and downpipe. Square windows sit in recessed openings, and a plaque between the left windows reads "1848". The museum holds the historical, cultural and environmental heritage collections of Mayotte.

The museum project was launched by Mayotte's Departmental Council and implemented in 2012, starting with the building of collections on an island where knowledge passes mainly by word of mouth. It opened in the former barracks on the Dzaoudzi rock in 2015 and received the Musée de France label on 20 December 2018. A permanent home is planned in the Governor's residence, a listed monument.

The MuMa presents Mayotte's oral heritage through themes such as the debaa danced and sung by women, living music, and traditional jewellery-making. It also covers the douka, the village grocery shops, the salt of Bandrélé, and archaeological research on the cannons and rock of Dzaoudzi. Monthly thematic Saturdays and events for school groups accompany the displays.

Visit during daylight hours when natural lighting best highlights the displays and specimens. If you want to see special exhibitions or cultural presentations, check when the monthly MuMA Saturday events are scheduled.

The museum's collections were assembled from scratch after the project began in 2012, since transmission on the island is mainly oral. Two chief curators, Colette Foissey and Michel Colardelle, who had led the Mucem, were associated with the scientific and cultural project. Its director is Abdoul-Karim Ben Said.