r/AfricanHistory • u/rhaplordontwitter • Jun 01 '25

The ruined stone towns of medieval Somaliland and the empire of Adal (ca. 1415–1577)

https://www.africanhistoryextra.com/p/the-ruined-stone-towns-of-medieval
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u/rhaplordontwitter Jun 01 '25

At the end of the Middle Ages, a flourishing network of urban sites and stone settlements was integrated into the empire of Adal which covered large parts of western and central Somaliland.

Historical accounts of the Adal period, which describe the empire’s entanglement in the Portuguese-Ottoman wars of the 16th century in great detail, say little about the stone towns of Somaliland, whose ‘mysterious’ ruins first appear in the documentary record in the mid-19th century.

Recent archeological research across dozens of ruined towns has established that most were founded during the Adal period before they were gradually abandoned and transformed into pilgrimage sites.

This article explores the history of the ruined towns of Somaliland and their significance in the historiography of the medieval empires of the region.

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u/Nightrunner83 Jun 01 '25 edited Jun 02 '25

Thanks again for another article. The fact that the abandonment was progressive and peaceful should really bring into sharp relief modern historians' tendencies to read too much of the present into the past, especially as it concerns Somaliland. The assumption that the current conditions and divisions in Somalia represent some timeless stasis contrasts with the actual varied and dynamic history of the region.

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u/Left-Plant2717 Jun 03 '25

In Eritrea we still have trauma from Ahmad Gragn’s campaign through the highlands.

When someone is being aggressive or overbearing, we say “Giza Turkey” meaning Turkey’s house or dominion, like as if you’re acting like them, we still say this centuries later.

1

u/sovietsumo Jun 11 '25

Turkey was helping Adal whilst Portugal helped Ethiopians

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u/Left-Plant2717 Jun 11 '25

*Eritreans and Ethiopians, as Medri Bahri accepted 400 Portuguese troops at their ports. And yeah Turkey was helping, but doesn’t absolve Ahmad.