Al-Banadir

History of the Chinese in Barawa

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

We owe the first eye-witness account of Brava to the Chinese travellers of the early fifteenth century. The Chinese fleet, under the leadership of Admiral Cheng Ho (also known as Zeng He), undertook several voyages to the Western Indian Ocean from 1417 to 1431, (Filesi, 1975). These journeys were entirely peaceful ventures, having been promoted by the Ming emperor Yung Lo as exploration and trade expeditions. The Chinese ships cast anchor at Brava more than once, 1417, 1421, and 1430 (Filesi, 1975), and the visitors recorded that it was then a walled town with many stone buildings. Their almost idyllic

The Origins of Barawa

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

Overview Barawa is located in the Southwest of Somalia, and southernmost city of the Banadir coast. It lies approximately 200km south of Mogadishu and 100km south of Marka. Historically it makes up for one of the major ports in the Banadir Coast and home to the Barawa people referred to as ‘Wantu Wa Mini’. Though geographically and linguistically distant from its respective Banadiri neighbours (i.e. Marka, Mogadishu, Kismayo) and nowadays separated by different political boundaries, nonetheless all these coastal towns share a common history and are part of the same cultural characteristics as known as the Banadir Coast. The oldest

Popular Games and Activities Played in Barawa | Nkoonko, Haya Tamo, Mayi ka Mpeembe

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

Barawa, with its culture, traditional clothing, dishes and language, have always stood out in it’s distinction with her respective neighbours in the Banadir Coast, although customs and traditions were always shared and the apparent relations was always present in the coast between the cities, some customs were limited or only associated with the Barawa people, similar to other towns and regions. This article will explore three games and amusements activities played in Barawa, mostly played by children, teenagers, or even the common people on an occasional day. Nkoonko A game played by the youth of the Barawa, sort of similar

Rare Photos of Barawa (1900-1930)

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

The Walls of Mogadishu

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

The city states of Mogadishu, Barawa, Marka and Kismayo were at one point all surrounded by walls. This was a systematic approach by the Sultan at that time to separate rural people from the urban dwellers. This was witnessed by 19th century travellers and also colonies who came and took down the wall. One being John Ainsworth (1890). In his description of Mogadishu in 1890, he went on to state: “In 1890 the horn of Africa coast north from Kismayu, Barawa, Merca to Mogadishu with a depth of ten miles was part of the dominions of the Swahili States. These

مخطوط لعبدالعزيز الأموي.. قاضي زنجبار

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

يحوي مسائل فقهية ولمحات تاريخية – إدريس بن بابه باحامد – هو الشيخ الفقيه عبد العزيز بن عبد الغني الأموي، المعروف بقاضي زنجبار، لم أجد من كتب عنه كثيرا وفصّل في ذكر مآثره وحياته، إلا أنه اشتهر بعلمه وتمكنه في مجال القضاء الامر الذي أكسبه هيبة ووقارا، تولى القضاء في زنجبار للسلطان برغش بن سعيد، له عدّة مسائل وأجوبة ومؤلفات في الفقه والقضاء، تكتنز مكتبة السيد بعضا منها، لما لها من أهمية في بابها، كان حيا في سنة 1287هجرية، يعني أنه من علماء القرن الثالث عشر الهجري، من كتبه أو مؤلفاته التي عثرت عليها في مكتبة السيد؛ أسئلة وأجوبة ونبذة

Picture 1. A picture of the Palace compound (the 3 buildings) taken around 1950s.

The Palace Museum, Zanzibar

Al-Banadir 2 years ago No Comments

Written by Riadh A. AlBusaidi, April, 2018 After the 1964 Zanzibar revolution, the Sultan’s Palace was turned into a museum. I have read articles and I have seen short ‘documentary’ films talking about the origins of this palace. I would like to set the record straight and correct some of the misconceptions regarding the history and status of this modest palace in Zanzibar Town. This Palace has been referred to as “Beit Sahel”, this is correct. Beit Sahel was completely demolished after it was extensively damaged during the British bombardment of 1896. Apart from the destruction of Beit Sahel, the

Sheekhal Gendershe Clan

Al-Banadir 2 years ago 1 Comment

Sheekhall Gandershe (Somali: Shiikhaal Gendershe Arabic:شيخال غاندارش) also known as Reer Aw Garweyne are a Benadiri/12 Koofi clan mainly from the southern coastal cities of; Gendershe, Marka and Mogadishu and have established communities in the hinterlands in towns such as Afgooye and the villages around it due to trading and farming. Overview The Reer Aw Garweyne, who are more commonly known as Shiikhall Gendershe get their name from the town in which their patriarch first settled in (Gendershe). The tomb of their ancestor Aw ‘Ismaan Garweyne (big beard) is also buried in this village synonymous with this clan and it’s destination of siyaaro (pilgrimages) to venerate their ancestor Aw ‘Ismaan. Notable

Trade and Skilled Craftsmanship amongst the Banadiris

Al-Banadir 2 years ago 1 Comment

For centuries Banadiris were well known for their business acumen and their contribution to the economy, they profited from every sector and contributed to the country up until recent. Despite being a maritime emporium once and a establishing a major port in the Indian ocean, this did not stop them from producing and manufacturing their own goods, contrary to being a consumer people that made use of the export and import trade between the inland and the ocean. They made the commercialisation of products cultivated and the manufactured by some Banadiri clans possible, this was what bought a positive impact

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