104 places · 7 areas

Places of the Bangsamoro

Islands and white sand, lakes in the highlands, mosques, falls and the old forts and houses of the sultanates: what is there, how to get there, and what to know before you go.

Ervin Malicdem · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.

Beaches 6

Islands 11

Mosques 10

Lakes 5

Falls 5

Mountains 7

Nature 21

Heritage 22

Museums 5

Cities 2

Markets 2

Memory 8

Every place is traced to the pages it came from, and the guide’s own entries are the travel workspace’s. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons or English Wikipedia under free licences, each credited on the photo. 7 areas: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area.

Get involved

Public records get betterwhen people check them.

Spotted an error, or have a document worth adding? Every correction and every source makes the record stronger — and the official source is always right where we are wrong.

The white arched front of the Aga Khan Museum on the Mindanao State University campus in Marawi.

Places · Museum

Aga Khan Museum of Islamic Arts

Marawi, Lanao del Sur

Mindanao State University · Philippine government workPhoto by Mindanao State University, Philippine government work. Open the source file.

Overview

The best collection of Maranao and Mindanao material anywhere, on the MSU campus.

Inside Mindanao State University in Marawi, and the single most rewarding indoor hour in BARMM. The collection covers Maranao brass and okir carving, kulintang instruments, textiles, weaponry and torogan architectural elements — panolong beam ends carved into the winged forms that are the signature of the tradition.

It is a university museum rather than a national one, which means the labeling can be uneven and the presentation is plain. The objects carry it.

Things to do

  1. 01See the weapons from the Moro warsThe museum shows weapons used against the Spanish and the Americans, including the lantaka cannon, the kris and the kampilan.
  2. 02See the model pagoda mosques and torogan partsMiniature pagoda-style mosques, replicas and pieces of torogan houses such as the carved panolong beam ends are on display, along with musical instruments and farm tools.
  3. 03Find Abdulmari Imao's calligraphic sculpturesIn 2016 the museum was reported to hold more than 300 of Abdulmari Imao's calligraphic sculptures of the name of Allah.
  4. 04Go up to the natural history floorThe second floor holds the natural history collection and some traditional costumes, and the museum also has old photographs of Marawi from the American period.
  5. 05Take a tricycle to MSU and check it is openTricycles are the easiest way to get around Marawi, so ask for MSU if the driver does not know the museum; hours have varied, so confirm before you travel and ask at the desk about photography.

Food to try

  • MarawiSnacks at JECOs CafeJECOs, at the MCU Commercial Center, is among the best-known places to eat in the city, serving snacks and desserts from 10 am to 8 pm.
  • Turmeric-yellow kuning rice and grilled chicken pater served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPalapaThe condiment the whole Maranao kitchen is built on — scallion bulb, ginger, chilli, coconut.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • Piaparan a manok, chicken cooked with turmeric, coconut milk and grated coconut, served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPiaparanChicken or fish cooked in coconut with palapa and turmeric.Photo: Lokalpedia
  • A plate of beef rendang, the slow-cooked spiced beef that Maranao cooks call randang.MaranaoRendangThe slow-cooked dry coconut beef curry, in its Philippine form.Photo: Miansari66
  • MaranaoInatoEveryday Maranao home cooking, served as a set with rice and palapa.

The food is halal. Named eateries come from dated listings, so check they are still open.

Places to stay

Through local contacts, the city tourism office, or MSU. Online listings for Marawi are sparse and not always current.

  • hotel · MarawiRanaw Business HotelBusiness hotel used for MSSD events in Marawi, October 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSamsara Palace Hotel and EventHotel and events venue listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, July 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSantorini Hotel, Garden Cafe and Events PlaceHotel with a garden cafe and events place, listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, November 2024Named in 2024
  • resort · MarawiLake View ResortLakeside resort above Lake Lanao; hosted an MPOS livelihood training, May 2024Named in 2024

Each is named in an official or dated source; none could be checked against an accreditation list. No prices: rates change quickly, so confirm and book directly before you go.

Sourcesen.wikipedia.org ·en.wikipedia.org ·langyaw.com ·ivanhenares.com ·en.wikivoyage.org