How Mogadishu was transformed from a medieval town to a modern city

[Weydamal]

A very interesting article on the transformation of Mogadishu from a small medieval town to Somalia's capital city.

https://www.ribaj.com/culture/making-of-a-modern-african-city


This was Mogadishu in 1927

 

[Factz]

A very interesting article on the transformation of Mogadishu from a small medieval town to Somalia's capital city.

https://www.ribaj.com/culture/making-of-a-modern-african-city


This was Mogadishu in 1927

Mogadishu was never ruled by foreigners.

Ancient Mogadishu (Sarapion) was part of the Somali city-states.

Mogadishu Sultanate (9th to 13th century).

Mogadishu was capital the of Ajuran Empire for (13th to 17th century).

Mogadishu was capital the of Hiraab Imamate for (17th to early 20th century).

Now Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia.

 

[Grant]

A very interesting article on the transformation of Mogadishu from a small medieval town to Somalia's capital city.

https://www.ribaj.com/culture/making-of-a-modern-african-city


This was Mogadishu in 1927

The article says the Croce del Sud Hotel was built in 1933. Do you think that pins down the timing for the Casa del Fascio?

 

[Weydamal]

The article says the Croce del Sud Hotel was built in 1933. Do you think that pins down the timing for the Casa del Fascio?

 

[Weydamal]

The Croce del Sud was built in 1933/34 designed by the famous Milanese architect Carlo Enrico Rava.There is more about Rava in this article:

http://nicholaskilner.com/designer/carlo-enrico-rava/

I'm not so sure about the dating of the Casa del Fascio. We may need to do more research on this. What I have so far is that it was inaugurated as the headquarters of the Fascist party in 1938 as the picture below shows.It could have been built earlier than that . At that time it was the biggest building in Mogadishu. It later became the first parliament of Somalia.

A note on Carlo Enrico Rava, he was the son of Maurizio Rava who was the governor of Italian Somaliland from 1931 to 1935. Maurizio Rava from Milan, was a prominent member of the fascist party, a decorated general, a painter and writer. The surprising thing about him is that he was, alongside Guido Jung and Aldo Finzi, one of the famous Italian Jews who gained prominence in fascist Italy. Fascist Italy paid lip service to anti Semitic and many Jews thrived during this period, although many also suffered due to German pressure on Mussolini.

The literary and artistic side of Maurizio is evident in Mogadishu where in 1993,he reconstructed the old Sultan of Zanzibar ' s residence and converted it into the famous Museo della Garesa, the Somali national museum.

 

[Weydamal]

The Cathedral in the Somali capital was, as you know, built in 1928 and based on the gothic medieval Norman Cathedral in Cefalu, Sicily which is pictured below.

 

[Weydamal]

This was the Cathedral in Mogadishu before it was destroyed. The similarities with Cefalu are evident.

 

[Weydamal]

The Croce del Sud was built in 1933/34 designed by the famous Milanese architect Carlo Enrico Rava.There is more about Rava in this article:

http://nicholaskilner.com/designer/carlo-enrico-rava/

I'm not so sure about the dating of the Casa del Fascio. We may need to do more research on this. What I have so far is that it was inaugurated as the headquarters of the Fascist party in 1938 as the picture below shows.It could have been built earlier than that . At that time it was the biggest building in Mogadishu. It later became the first parliament of Somalia.

A note on Carlo Enrico Rava, he was the son of Maurizio Rava who was the governor of Italian Somaliland from 1931 to 1935. Maurizio Rava from Milan, was a prominent member of the fascist party, a decorated general, a painter and writer. The surprising thing about him is that he was, alongside Guido Jung and Aldo Finzi, one of the famous Italian Jews who gained prominence in fascist Italy. Fascist Italy paid lip service to anti Semitic and many Jews thrived during this period, although many also suffered due to German pressure on Mussolini.

The literary and artistic side of Maurizio is evident in Mogadishu where in 1993,he reconstructed the old Sultan of Zanzibar ' s residence and converted it into the famous Museo della Garesa, the Somali national museum.

Sorry the Garesa was renovated in 1933 and opened the following year.

 

[Grant]

The Croce del Sud was built in 1933/34 designed by the famous Milanese architect Carlo Enrico Rava.There is more about Rava in this article:

http://nicholaskilner.com/designer/carlo-enrico-rava/

I'm not so sure about the dating of the Casa del Fascio. We may need to do more research on this. What I have so far is that it was inaugurated as the headquarters of the Fascist party in 1938 as the picture below shows.It could have been built earlier than that . At that time it was the biggest building in Mogadishu. It later became the first parliament of Somalia.

A note on Carlo Enrico Rava, he was the son of Maurizio Rava who was the governor of Italian Somaliland from 1931 to 1935. Maurizio Rava from Milan, was a prominent member of the fascist party, a decorated general, a painter and writer. The surprising thing about him is that he was, alongside Guido Jung and Aldo Finzi, one of the famous Italian Jews who gained prominence in fascist Italy. Fascist Italy paid lip service to anti Semitic and many Jews thrived during this period, although many also suffered due to German pressure on Mussolini.

The literary and artistic side of Maurizio is evident in Mogadishu where in 1993,he reconstructed the old Sultan of Zanzibar ' s residence and converted it into the famous Museo della Garesa, the Somali national museum.

https://mogadishuimages.wordpress.com/category/time-periods/1900-1960-italian-period/page/3/

Was it Carlo or Maurizio who did the work in 1993? It seems like it should have been the son, but, man, did he do a job on it! One thing that is interesting historically is that the national collections were housed there, in the former Zanzibari/Muddafar palace restored by an Italian. It does follow.

 

[Weydamal]

https://mogadishuimages.wordpress.com/category/time-periods/1900-1960-italian-period/page/3/

Was it Carlo or Maurizio who did the work in 1993? It seems like it should have been the son, but, man, did he do a job on it! One thing that is interesting historically is that the national collections were housed there, in the former Zanzibari/Muddafar palace restored by an Italian. It does follow.

1993 was a typo, man, I corrected it.

Maurizio the father of Carlo was the governor of Italian Somaliland when the Garesa was renovated in 1933. It's likely his son was involved as he would have been in Mogadishu in the same period.

Great link on the images from Mogadishu ' s past.

 

[Grant]

This boggles my mind. 1936. From that same link. Just imagine if the Fascists had won WWII.....

Sorry, didn't see your correction.

 

[Weydamal]

The map accurately portrays the situation at that time.
From 1936 when Italy conquered Ethiopia to 1940 when they conquered British Somaliland, Italy controlled most of the Somali speaking territories. In addition they had occupied parts of the NFD and were planning to invade French Somaliland. Mussolini was an ardent champion of Grande Somalia or Greater Somalia ( Soomaali Wayn ). It was the only time during the colonial period that most Somalis were under one state, and they freely travelled within their territory. Somalis achieved their long cherished dream of living under one state under the leadership,of all the people, a fascist Italian leader.
Unfortunately, Italy lost the 2nd world war and the Somali were once again partitioned among several states.
Hopefully, we shall see in the future a united, peaceful and prosperous Soomaali Wayn.

 

[HIGH PRIESTESS]

Just out of curiosity, what would have been the fate of Somalia if Italy and the Axis had won the war?

 

[Factz]

@Grant We've already been over this multiple times. Zanzibar Sultanate was nothing more but nominal meaning they claimed it but never ruled it.

 

[Grant]

@Grant We've already been over this multiple times. Zanzibar Sultanate was nothing more but nominal meaning they claimed it but never ruled it.

Patriotic Fiction,

I don't know what it is about you Canadians, but Canuck was also utterly misinformed. I suspect you guys or others in that cold country are the ones falsifying the Wiki pages during those boring winter nights. You have a self-reinforcing ball of of falsehoods going that just keeps growing. You have taken over Wiki and are in the process of moving to Revolvy. As someone interested in actual history, I find you disturbing.

You didn't notice the Zanzibari/Muddafar palace above.? You believe your own Wiki over photos?

You don't remember your map? At the time of the Periplus, Sarapion was ruled by Charabael of Himyar, who was later replaced by a republic composed of mostly Persian and Arab clans and yet later by other Yemeni/Omani Sultans. We can check with James Dahl, who wrote the book, but I don't think ethnic Somalis get actual control of the port until 1960. They were actually kept out of Mog at night until after the Yaquub Abgaal temporarily beat the Muddafar about 1624. Local clans may have seized short local control at times, but Zanzibar ruled when it's ships were in port and Zanzibar had no trouble selling the whole kit and kaboodle to the Italians. That is not nominal.

Your other theses above are equally false. Calling Weydamal or the author of the piece he quoted a liar is over the line without proof way beyond what you have provided or Wiki can provide.

I don't think you even understand what history is.

 

[Factz]

Patriotic Fiction,

I don't know what it is about you Canadians, but Canuck was also utterly misinformed. I suspect you guys or others in that cold country are the ones falsifying the Wiki pages during those boring winter nights. You have a self-reinforcing ball of of falsehoods going that just keeps growing. You have taken over Wiki and are in the process of moving to Revolvy. As someone interested in actual history, I find you disturbing.

You didn't notice the Zanzibari/Muddafar palace above.? You believe your own Wiki over photos?

You don't remember your map? At the time of the Periplus, Sarapion was ruled by Charabael of Himyar, who was later replaced by a republic composed of mostly Persian and Arab clans and yet later by other Yemeni/Omani Sultans. We can check with James Dahl, who wrote the book, but I don't think ethnic Somalis get actual control of the port until 1960. They were actually kept out of Mog at night until after the Yaquub Abgaal temporarily beat the Muddafar about 1624. Local clans may have seized short local control at times, but Zanzibar ruled when it's ships were in port and Zanzibar had no trouble selling the whole kit and kaboodle to the Italians. That is not nominal.

Your other theses above are equally false. Calling Weydamal or the author of the piece he quoted a liar is over the line without proof way beyond what you have provided or Wiki can provide.

I don't think you even understand what history is.

All I heard is pile of garbage from you from a typical white revisionist propaganda. I've already given you the sources where Omani scholars admit that the Zanzibar Sultanate only controlled the Zanzibar Islands and Swahili coast, but never the Somali coast, let alone Mogadishu which was nothing but nominal. Himyar had no colonies and Somali city-states were independent ancient Somali tribal states. Arab merchants and Persian merchants only traded with Mogadishu, but never ruled it. It was always a Somali city part of Somali kingdoms.

 

[Grant]

Just out of curiosity, what would have been the fate of Somalia if Italy and the Axis had won the war?

1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
Fascism | Definition of Fascism by Merriam-Webster
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism

The Germans were racists, the Italians less so, but they went along. If actions followed philosophy, both countries would have extracted their colonies for the good of the Homeland. No opposition or independent power whatsoever would have been tolerated.

 

[Grant]

All I heard is pile of garbage from you from a typical white revisionist propaganda. I've already given you the sources where Omani scholars admit that the Zanzibar Sultanate only controlled the Zanzibar Islands and Swahili coast, but never the Somali coast, let alone Mogadishu which was nothing but nominal. Himyar had no colonies and Somali city-states were independent ancient Somali tribal states. Arab merchants and Persian merchants only traded with Mogadishu, but never ruled it. It was always a Somali city part of Somali kingdoms.

You are full of brag and falsehoods, but you have yet to come up with a single accessible link that wasn't something you made up yourself on Wiki. If you have an actual link, let's see it.

 

[Factz]

You are full of brag and falsehoods, but you have yet to come up with a single accessible link that wasn't something you made up yourself on Wiki. If you have an actual link, let's see it.

You don't give up do you, you historical revisionist?

I already showed you an authentic source stating that the local rulers of southern Somalia were Geledi Sultanate and Hiraab Imamate which were the successor states of the Ajuran Empire and Mogadishu was nothing more but nominal for the Zanzibar Sultanate.

Read from below.

Here is the link: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=X1dDDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA62&dq=hiraab+imamate&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1xry32_7aAhWKLsAKHd0uA-sQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=hiraab imamate&f=false

And you have been debunked!

 

[Grant]

You don't give up do you, you historical revisionist?

I already showed you an authentic source stating that the local rulers of southern Somalia were Geledi Sultanate and Hiraab Imamate which were the successor states of the Ajuran Empire and Mogadishu was nothing more but nominal for the Zanzibar Sultanate.

Read from below.

Here is the link: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=X1dDDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA62&dq=hiraab+imamate&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1xry32_7aAhWKLsAKHd0uA-sQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=hiraab imamate&f=false

And you have been debunked!

OK. Now, that's a link.You do know what they are! But, here's the whole quote below:

Zanzibar, and the rulers of Mog before them were only interested in the port. They wanted to keep the interior out, originally with a wall facing only the miyi; and later with laws that locals could not be in the city at night. Think Shanshi and Cadcads. That is up until 1624, when the Hiraab beat both the Yemeni Muzzaffars and the Ajuraan. But that didn't end Omani/Yemeni/Zanzibari control of the port when their ships were in.

Nobody is saying that Zanzibar, or Mog before the Italians, ruled the interior tribes. But neither did the interior tribes control the exterior trade. Yusuf of the Geledi died at Golwayn trying to take a port from the Biimaal. Clients of Ajuraan period city states had ships, but there is no indication the Ajuraan did. The only Somali shipbuilding I am aware of was at Hafun, and that was much later.

You and those of your ilk always want to confuse the port and trade with the countryside. For the vast majority of Mogadishu's history, control of the two was separate. The Ajuraan ruled from Qalafo and Mareeg, etc., but not Mog. The Geledi ruled from Afgoye. It was the Yemeni Muzzaffars with the palace in Mog and, "nominal" or not, Zanzibar did sell Somalia to the Italians. He who controls the coast controls access.