Mogadishu

Why it's the capital

Mogadishu has been a trading port on the Indian Ocean for many centuries and was the capital of the medieval Sultanate of Mogadishu. Italy made it the capital of Italian Somaliland in 1905, and on 1 July 1960 it became the capital of the new Somali Republic.

Fun facts

1. Locals call the city Xamar (Hamar), a name that may refer to the colour red and the reddish sand and hills; the old quarter Hamar Weyne means "big red".
2. The traveller Ibn Battuta visited in 1331, when the city was at the height of its wealth, and described it as an exceedingly large city famous for its fine cloth.
3. The Arba'a Rukun Mosque, built around 1268–1269, is one of the oldest places of Islamic worship in the city.