Issue No. 417

Zeila and Masjid al-Qiblatayn: Somaliland’s twin jewels of antiquity

The port of Zeila (also spelt as Seylac), on the confluence of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, was one of the hottest pieces of real estate in the Horn in antiquity. It was one of the wealthiest gateways to the outside world, coveted by and fought over by foreign powers. During the Ottoman era, the port was a Turkish sphere of influence.

Located in modern day Somaliland’s western Awdal region, Zeila was, from the Middle Ages up until the 19th Century, a lucrative trade hub, exporting luxury goods such as myrrh, gold, ivory, leather and ostrich feathers, and importing fabrics, iron, weapons, glass, and glazed pottery. Enslaved people from Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) were also known to be transported through the town. 

Due to its rich past, Zeila possesses several archeologically interesting sites, but its main wonder is the Masjid al-Qiblatayn, which is also known as the Labo- Qibla mosque and is one of the oldest mosques in Africa. Masjid al-Qiblatayn means the “mosque with the two Qiblahs”, referring to the mosque having two mihrabs (prayer niches), of which one is oriented towards Mecca, while the other pointed towards Jerusalem. This mosque is believed to have been built in the 7th Century, during the First Hijra, when the early followers of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Abyssinia while fleeing persecution in Arabia. The mosque also contains the tomb of Sheikh Babu Denu, but little of this history is visible today, as the mosque is in ruins. It was reported in 2016 that one of the remaining Qibla walls had collapsed, leaving only one wall and a minaret still standing. Zeila’s historical, cultural, and architectural heritage has never been properly mapped, let alone restored or preserved. Without proper archeological research, thousands of years of history at risk of turning into dust, and the wonders of Zeila will be forgotten.

There was a short time in the history of Islam when the direction of prayer, or the Qibla, was facing Jerusalem. This changed during the second year of Hijra, when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received a revelation while in Medina to change the direction of prayer to the Holy Kaaba in Mecca. The Masjid al-Qiblatayn of Saudi Arabia, built around 626 AD remains famous as the mosque where this revelation was received, and which also contained two mihrabs, one pointing towards Jerusalem, and one towards Mecca. Few such mosques remain, such as the Qiblatayn Mosque in Ibra, Oman, while there are speculations surrounding the Hulbuk Castle Mosque in Tajikistan and the Jarash mosque in Jordan. 

Travelers passing through Zeila have left written reports as early as in the 9th Century AD, when Al Ya’qubi, an Arab geographer wrote about the town, citing it as the capital of the Muslim Emirate of Adal, which was a part of the Sultanate of Ifat, a medieval Sunni Muslim state ruling over several regions of the Horn. The anthropologist Herbert Lewis wrote that Zeila fell into the hands of Christian Abyssinian armies in the 14th century, and was later recaptured by Ahmed Ibrahim Al Ghazi (Ahmed Guray), a Somali imam and general of the Adal sultanate. In the mid-14th Century, Ibn Battuta, a Berber scholar described Zeila as being inhabited by “blacks”, and as being a large city with a great market. In the 16th Century, Zeila and its precious port was first taken over by the Ottoman Empire, turning it into a protectorate, and the town was later invaded by the Portuguese. In 1888 Zeila came to be under the British protectorate as a part of Somaliland. There is little evidence left today of the wealthy past of the town, save from several ruins of Ottoman buildings, as well as the famous tomb of Sheikh Ibrahim Zeilici. Most older buildings date from the 19th and 20th century, and all are in a poor state.

During Somalia’s civil war, the town of Zeila suffered from destruction, and it was severely damaged. During the rainy season inhabitants find themselves surrounded by salt water, unable to bring any goods in or out. A quote by Richard Burton, written in 1924 rings eerily familiar. 

“Besides a large floating population, Zayla contains about 1500 souls. They are comparatively a fine race of people, and suffer from little but fever and an occasional ophthalmia. Their greatest hardship is the want of the pure element: the Hissi or well, is about four miles distant from the town, and all the pits within the walls supply brackish or bitter water, fit only for external use. This is probably the reason why vegetables are unknown, and why a horse, a mule, or even a dog, is not to be found in the place.”

Despite nearly 100 years having passed, the situation for local inhabitants has barely changed. The people of Zeila, like the town itself, have suffered from neglect, and they are lacking basic necessities such as clean water, and access to education and healthcare. Their unique cultural heritage is being forgotten as well, as are the wonders of the Masjid al-Qiblatayn. 

The historical decline of Zeila as a regional hub may not be easily reversible, but there is hope the town may regain some of its past lustre. Somaliland’s growing geopolitical profile and the renewed interest to rebuild the port of Zeila raises prospect of economic regeneration. Conceivably, Somaliland may also push to get UNESCO to designate Masjid al-Qiblatayn a world heritage site. This will help draw in pilgrims from the rest of the Muslim world. It will also draw in tourists and help revive the local economy.

The Somali Wire Team