It's in the south end of Port Louis that one can still find the greatest number of "Creole houses" and "colonial houses", typical features of a past era.

They border the peaceful and calm alleyways that spread over the foot of the neighbouring "Montagne des signaux." These small, rectangular buildings are crested with typical roofs that are usually steep, with points at the top.

Dating back to the 50s and even earlier, these "Creole houses" are made of iron sheets and are of modest appearance. The colonial houses are made of wood and are much more elegant. Some of them have verandas and others have the roof embellished with iron lace around the edge. These houses date from as early as the 19th century.

Aligned with rows of modern and often disproportionate constructions, these houses - often endowed with an upper floor - seem to resist vehemently to the inexorable concrete constructions which shape the present features of the town.

An endless struggle. Most of these "colonial houses" and "Creole houses" are already suffering. The overlapped and ruined wooden planks are falling off the roofs. The wooden walls are growing moldy and the paint is peeling. The iron parts are pitted with rust. The doors and windows remain closed, hence making them look like haunted houses. They are waiting to either be worn away by time or destroyed by a bulldozer.

However, the ones that are not completely ruined, although shabby, retain a certain charm and evoke nostalgic feelings. Exceptionally, a few of these houses are still well maintained and have kept their long-lost prestige. Some of them are even lived in and some have been converted into prestigious administrative buildings.

Others have been renovated. They have swapped their wooden or iron surfaces for breeze blocks and melt in well with contemporary style extensions. In memory of their picturesque history, there remain only a few rare relics such as part of a wall, the form of a roof or the iron lacing on the edge of the roofs and canopies. They are passive witnesses of a ruined past.

Texts and photos: William Rasoanaivo - 2007