Praça da Independência, Maputo

The Praça da Independência is the ceremonial heart of Maputo, a formal square overlooked by the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the neoclassical City Hall and the statue of Samora Machel, the country's founding president. Laid out during the Portuguese colonial period and reshaped after independence in 1975, it forms the symbolic centre of the capital. Wide and open, the square hosts national ceremonies and provides a striking architectural ensemble at the top of the city's grid.