Barawa, the capital of South West State in Somalia, boasts a rich history. Discover the fascinating history of Barawa presented in English for your convenience. Stay informed and connected with the happenings on the coast through our platform
Written by Zakaria al Showki It is one of the most famous monumental buildings in Banadir and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the city of Barawa. It was built by the wealthy Indian trader Tharia Topan of Zanzibar,…
Barawa, Banadir City – Today, the community of Barawa gathered to celebrate the opening of Masjid Mama Aisha, a newly constructed mosque located near the water well of Haji al Waani. The inauguration ceremony took place in 22nd February 2024,…
Barawa, Banadir – The Banadir coastal town of Barawa is in distress as three young fishermen have gone missing after venturing out to sea last Friday. The trio had left in the afternoon, with the intention of returning by early…
A city south of Mogadishu devastated, the inhabitants, guilty of affinity ethnic groups with the dictator Siad Bare, massacred, and subjugated. Poisoned fruit of the war of all against all, which gives four years shakes the country, the ordeal of…
Abubakar Salim (1936-2018) (also known as “Abu Deera”) was a 20-21st century poet born and raised in the City of Barawa, Somalia. He became popular in poetry and shtenzi (Bravanese form of poetry) at an early age where he was…
East African Pan-Islamic revival owes much debt to the struggles of the Qadiri leader Shaykh Uways bin Muhammad al-Baraawi. Sheikh Uways was another famous scholar that was born in Barawa, as a young teenager, he studied theological science and philosophy.…
Sheikh Qassim al Barawi was born in Barawa from the Raa Waa’ili clan, he was famously known for the many Qasa’id (Religious Poems) he wrote. He was multilingual so wrote poems in both Arabic and Chimbalazi (Barawa language), and Somali,…
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…
This article will seek to explore the interactions between Portugal and Barawa in its historical context and the impact it left on the coast. Throughout the course of history, the Indian Ocean was a contested location in the maritime facet.…
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…
Written by Allesandra Vianelo IntroductionBarawa is the southernmost of the Benadir ports, lying approximately 200 km. south of Mogadishu and 100 km. south of Merka. Despite these comparatively short distances, during the nineteenth century most travellers and traders reached the…
In this transcribed oral history recorded originally from a Bajuni Shaykh, we learn of a story that details the origin of many towns on the Banadir as well as the Swahili coast. Introduction The author is Shaykh Fāḍil bin ʿUmar…
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…
The Portuguese arrival in the Indian Ocean in the 1490s paved way for a power struggle in who controlled the ocean, major changes into the monopolisation of the ocean was when they came into contact with the Banadir ports. Trade…
Sheikh Nurein ibn Ahmad Sabir Al Hatimi was a famous scholar hailing from Barawa. During his time he was appointed as Chief Qadhi of Barawa by the Sultan of Zanzibar Sayid Barghash (1870-1888). A famous story or incident that occurred…
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…
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…
Sheikh Umar bin Qulatayn (also spelled as Kulatein, Kulatayn, Qulatein) bin Mudhir was an Islamic scholar following the Sufi Order of Qadariyah. Coming from Barawa, he traces his lineage to Hadramaut in Yemen and belonged to the Nadhiri family. He…
