A Glimpse of Medieval Somalia

I thought it would be fun to dive into what we now know about medieval Somali society in a story format.

Let's say you were transported to Somalia around the start of the 16th century, what would you see?

Starting in the Sultanate of 'Adal (Sultanate of Justice), you come across major centres including Zeyla, Harar, 'Abasa and Amoud.

You stroll through Zayla, the capital city and are thrust into the midst of frenetic activity and merchants going about their business.

The air smells of fish and the sea. You enter the foreign quarter of the Red Sea's New York and multiple languages mix into an incomprehensible hum and ring through your ears: Somali, Harari, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Swahili.

You venture into the nearby hinterland and see a Gelbis of a newly wed nomadic couple taking place.

A group of woman in colourful dresses stand on one side singing and ululating near the couple's designated hut.

They repeat 'Nuur Allow, Nebi Allow, Maxamad Nebi
Magac samow'

Translation: 'Oh Light of God, Oh Prophet of God, Muhammad the Prophet, how excellent your name is'.

The groom and the men stand on the other side and slowly make their way to the hut chanting songs of praise for the Prophet ﷺ: Allahumma salli 'alal xabíb Muxamad.

You remember it is rude to randomly watch a wedding you weren't invited to and re-enter the city.

The A.I assistant you brought along takes you to Masjid Qiblateyn and you stare in awe at one of the 6 oldest mosques in the world.

You unknowingly bump into the famed sisters and scholarly duo Zahira bint Faraj and Zayli`iyyah bint Faraj before they head to Makkah.

You go to a coffeehouse and sample some of the bun (coffee) and qashar (another coffee drink) being shipped worldwide from the port of Zeyla.

The coffee is absolutely delicious. You feel an pulse of energy grow inside you as the caffeine takes effect and you feel good drinking the 'wine of the Muslims'.

You hear graduates from the Al Jabarti Riwaq of Al Azhar argue about what Ibn Khaldun said about Zeyla and whether he plagiarized Sa'id of Mogadishu's account of his travels in Ming China.

The same graduates try and involve you in their debate on the merits of the Hanafi madhab vs the Shafi'i madhab.

You learn that Hanafism is losing sway in the Somali Peninsula with the increased influence of Yemeni Shafi'i scholars and the arrival of Hadhrami sayyids.

You didn't come all the way here to get involved in the minutiae of fiqh and leave the coffeeshop.

You come across a manuscript seller and buy a chronicle about a certain Ibrahim az-Zayla`i. You take it back to your lodgings and become totally absorbed in the story.

Your AI assistant quickly transliterates the Somali Wadaad script and you learn about Ibrahim's exploits as a chilvarous knight and "famous horseman" in Yemen and the uprising he led against the Rasulid dynasty.

The afternoon siesta ends and you decide to explore more.

You decide to shop for souvenirs and come across some of the popular exotic goods sold in 'Adal. A merchant shows you some of his wares from places as far away as China and Vietnam.

You decline and buy some Arab jewellery and cowry shell currency instead after haggling.

Emir Mahfuz, the governor of Zeyla has been informed by Sufi sheikhs of your arrival and orders one of his highest-ranking Aban-Dules (Generals) to bring you to the palace and take you along of his regular tours of his country.

Hospitality is taken extremely seriously in this culture and the Emir also fears for your safety.

Another war is brewing after all and the Adalite army has just killed the Ethiopian Emperor Na'od.

You pass through a large territory greater than the UK in size and dotted with villages, towns and cities.

The Aban-Dule gives you the honour of touring defensive fortresses at Derbi Cad and Abasa.

The drone you sent into the sky returns images of a land of diverse landscapes.

You see a great number of villages, towns and cities tied together with waterworks and wadis, castles and caravanserais across the Guban, the Ogo mountains and into the Hawd, past Harla and Harar.

In the east, you see the allied vassal sultanate centred in the Nugaal valley and further south it leaves Adal's formal borders and you set sight on the sprawling cities of the Ajuuran and their impressive works of hydraulic engineering.

You finally leave 'Adal after touring Harar, the fourth holiest city of Islam and looking in awe at its massive walls and gates and arrive in Mogadishu, a key Ajuuraan city.

You arrive and are dazzled by the 4-5 storey townhouses, the paved streets and the sheer number of people that live in the city and the surrounding regions.

The textile industry certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the biggest and most profitable in the Islamic world.

You watch as merchants decked out in luxurious silk and cotton robes and turbans go about their business managing the production of the famed allindi cloth.

One of them boasts about the profits he's made from his trip to the Somali trade outpost of Sofala in Mozambique.

You arrive In the stronghold of the Rahanweyn at New Year's and see an unusual sight.

There are large crowds who seem to be engaged in a mix of dance and martial art.

You learn that this is a mock fight that is done at New Year's along with Dabshid (jumping over fires).

The harvest has been plentiful this year and you are invited to take part in festivities along with the local 'Goobs' (village- based workers' cooperatives).

Later, the Aaw Sheeng hosting you take you on a whirlwind tour.

You see the Ajuuran cities of Qalafo, Mareeg and Merka before visiting the ancient continously inhabited pottery town of Bur Haybe.

(Aaw Shengs refers to youth fraternities as well as youth sport and literary clubs whose memberships are made up of men of the same age.)