Mogadishu, The Beautiful, Sparking Pearl of Africa

Ah, Mogadishu. Now, we know it as a city, the capital city of Somalia, with an almost endless storm of gunshots, grenades, bullets, and buildings full of bullet holes and an air of misery. I feel sorry for this city. Why? Once upon a time, it was the pride of the African continent. It may be hard to believe that it was once called the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" because of its many white houses, mosques, monuments, etc.. Today, I would love to share my knowledge and love for the city before it was ravaged, and now scarred, by a brutal, destructive civil war.

 Introduction

The name Mogadishu is believed to have derived from the Persian word Maq'ad-i-Shah, which means 'Seat of the Shah'.  The name is a reference to the city as the capital of Somalia in ancient times, which it still is today and also, to Persian influence on it. It is also called Muqdisho in Somali. However, it is more commonly referred to as Xamar (pronounced haamaar) by its inhabitants and the locals of the surrounding region.

Early History

The Fakr-ud-Din Mosque

The city is believed to have first been inhabited by hunter-gatherers of the Bushmen, the indigenous people of southern Africa.Over time, many tribes, like the Oromo and the Ajuuraan, came and the Bushmen assimilated with them. The Sultanate of Mogadishu later emerged after the coming of the Emozeidi Arabs. Soon, it became a part of the powerful Ajuuraan State.

The city was famed for its high quality fabric, trade of frankincense, wealthy merchants, and size, especially in the 1300s, during the Medieval Period. It was when the city reached its zenith.

Colonization  

Downtown Mogadishu in 1936

By 1892, the city was jointly ruled by the Somali Geledi Sultanate and the Sultan of Zanzibar. In the same year, the Sultan of Zanzibar, Ali bin Said, leased it to Italy. This was the final phase of colonialism of the African continent, and the European powers were scampering to have at least some territory to mark their power. And Italy was no exception. Thus, in 1905, Italy purchased the whole city altogether and after gradually conquering most of Somalia, made it the capital of the colony of Italian Somaliland, calling it Mogadiscio. 

A train in Somalia, possibly of the Mogadishu-Villabruzzi Railway

Soon after, thousands of Italian colonialists came to city and established many small businesses. Jowhar, then called Villaggio duca degli Abruzzi, Villabruzzi for short, was established as an agricultural zone not far from the city. 

In the 1930s, a 114 km narrow gauge railway was laid, connecting Mogadishu with Villabruzzi and an asphalted road, the Strada Imperiale, was constructed to link it with Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia (then Abyssinia). Also, new buildings were built.

During World War II however, the British took control of Italian Somaliland and Mogadishu. British rule would continue until 1960.

Independence, A Military Coup, and Siad Barre's Dictatorship

Aden Abdullah Osman Daar

Somalia gained independence in 1960 from Great Britain's control and a democratic government was established, with Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as the new nation's first president. Things went on smoothly at first. When Daar was defeated by Abdirashid Ali Shermake, his prime minister, in the general elections of 1967, he graciously accepted defeat, making him the first African leader to peacefully transfer power to a democratically elected successor. 

Abdirashid Ali Shermake

Mohamed Siad Barre

But things took an unpleasant turn. In 1969, President Shermake was murdered by one of his bodyguards while visiting a town in north Somalia. The day after his funeral, Major General Mohamed Siad Barre of the Somali Armed Forces staged a military coup, dissolving Parliament, suspending the constitution, and made himself the dictator of Somalia. The new government, heavily influenced by Barre, espoused communist principles.

Metropolitan Mogadishu in the 1980s

Over the next two decades, major public works were carried out in Mogadishu, improving the city in many ways. One of the biggest projects carried out during this time was the construction of the Mogadishu Stadium. The inhabitants of the city, as with the rest of the country, faced heavy oppression by the regime. 

 However, many tourists visited the city during this time, relishing the monuments of the past, the city's impeccably maintained old quarter, and the whole city itself. Mogadishu was as modern as ever by the 1980s. The city's traffic was known to be the most orderly and law abiding in Africa. The Roads were regularly washed and kept sparkling clean. Cattle, donkeys and other husbandry had to wear diapers to keep the city clean. The streets were lined with scores of trees. The city made an excellent achievement of being Africa's safest city and the most beautiful one as well.  It truly became the pride of Africa.

The Curtain Call

By 1990 however, Siyaad Barre's regime was falling apart. Foreign debts soared, the currency hyperinflated, prices of essential goods like pasta (a staple for many of Mogadishu's people) skyrocketed, fuel shortages exacerbated, and the clans started fighting each other. All this was too much now for Barre and so, the government fell apart. The country plunged into a long, brutal civil war that lasted until mid 2012. 

During this time, almost all of the city was obliterated, with many buildings being bombed and riddled with bullet holes. It is only now that it is starting to stand on its feet again.

So much for now!

If  you want to see the city's charm before the devastation, please see the following videos. Trust me, you're gonna admire them quite a bit!

Stills with a song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0EfXZ_fr60  

A footage of the old town:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsAEw2gDKXI
A view of the streets and a market:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgsONd3uT84