𐀏 Somali Archive 𐀏

@Nmo1073346Nmo That’s the majority of Somali Twitter, but denying crimes like this is what harms unity the most. It’s ridiculous how it’s slowly growing popular. It’s just a defence mechanism to cope with Somalia splintering. Unity will never happen with such an ideology

@HangingByA Oh definitely, they tried rewriting the history of Somalia as a nomadic 'Somalis' and urban settler 'Arabs'. Thank god for historical sources (Ibn Battuta, zheng he, and Arab writers at the time) that prove that urban cities were inhabited by 'dark skinned' non-arab Somalis

yeah too many somalis cling on to the myths Europeans made abt us as obscure pastoralists with no permanent culture. *after* destroying our medieval town (cue xamar jajab for e.g.). i don't like this, it's erasing us and making us passive history as opposed to a permanent fixture in the horn.

another thing that will make people mad is that i don't fully believe we were solely an "oral" culture. i think we had a lot of writings, in local/non local typography. i think a lot of it was destroyed or lost. oral culture maybe accounting for abt half of our traditions only.

1935 Somali Postcard

Somali women, 1907. They’re likely Djiboutian based on the guuntino, dress, and beaded headband

Ogaden village chief with his wife and son in Afmadow

Ogaden women in Af Madow, Somalia. The first image shows flower-print guuntino and gorgorad. The second image shows kurdad and a plaod gorgorad.

Two Somali girls, somewhere between 1941-43. They're wearing north-eastern Somali style guuntino, so perhaps they're from the Ogaden or Djibouti

An example of the interior of Somali architecture. Hopefully, I can find more images in the near future. The ruins of Boqor Osman's residence in Bargaal, Somalia.

Somali women in 1940 Mogadishu. In order: Kurdad (dress) and gorgorad (petticoat), sewn sadex qayd (three part one-shoulder dress), the last two are wearing kurdad and gorgorad.

A similar style of sword is seen in photos of Majarteen (Bari/North East Somalia), often. Image one: Ahmed Taajir, ruler of Bosaso in 1889. Image two: Capo Hersi Gurey, 1938 Image three: Hersi Boqor, son of Boqor Osman. Image four: Boqor Osman and his young son in 1911

Somali man with sword, 1910.

Somali women in wedding Dirac (Dress), 2001.

Art depicting Ugaas Rooble's dethroning in 1871. This was done according to the tradition of hair shaving.

To summarise: Yes, this is native Somali architecture. The design is similar to other East African and Arabian Peninsula cities because they all take advantage of architecture styles that work well in insulating heat, as well as being a part of the same cultural sphere

So why do people online try to deny Somalia of this heritage? Its the continuation of the colonial idea of a 'dark continent/Africa'. This racist idea argued that Africans did not develop their societies at all, and that any development must be credited to foreign influence

It's very silly how historical misinformation is spread under the banner of online ethnic wars. This architectural style IS native to Somalia. 🧵 A mini thread about Somali architecture throughout the peninsula