The language spoken by the inhabitants of Barawa, known as Chimini, has long been a subject of debate in linguistic studies. Some western linguistic scholars, such as Möhlig (1995) and Nurse and Hinnebusch (1993), have classified it as a dialect…
‘Futa Banadir’, a term used to describe the traditional handwoven Banadiri fabric, is part of the distinctive clothing of the Banadir People, famous for their historical textile industry. Traditionally woven by Banadiri men, this fabric holds cultural and historical importance,…
Barawa has long been a hub of the Qadiriya Sufi tariqa and was a preeminent centre of ‘ilm and scholarship in Somalia. With the advent of European colonialism the Italians occupied the Banadir coast and soon formed ‘Italian Somaliland’ in…
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…
Below are some sayings and idioms (also known as Mahmah) that are commonly used by the Barawa people. “Menza chirenza” A friend is a razor Probably one of the most famous Barawa saying often heard even today, it is aimed…
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…
In the 1950s and early ‘60s, when coastal trade was still carried out mainly by dhows, the people of Barawa were amazed (and vastly amused) at the sight of some sailors coming from the southern Swahili coast, busily engaged in…
