Somalia

Understand

History

The history of the Somali people dates back many centuries. The first time the word Somali was mentioned in a history book was 3,500 years ago, when the queen of Egypt Hatshepsut sent a fleet of 5 large ships and a crew of 250 men to Somalia which the Egyptians called The Land of Punt. Punt means “the land of spices” from the aromatic plants that grow there. The Egyptians wanted to trade and they brought jewels and glass beads that they exchanged for gold, elephant tusks, myrrh, ostrich feathers, spices and different beads. Some of these items, especially the aromatic ones, were used by the Egyptians in their religious festivals and celebrations. Between the 7th and 9th centuries, immigrant Muslim Arabs and Persians established trading posts along the Somali coast. Over the next two centuries, a string of trading empires arose along the northeast coast. In the 14th century, Ibn Battuta, the great Berber traveller, visited Mogadishu and wrote about the people, their food and clothing and how they ruled themselves. In his book he mentioned that the people in the city were very fat and everybody ate as much as they could. The Mogadishans wore very nice white clothes and turbans and their sultan was very powerful. Somalia was an unknown country for European explorers until the Portuguese explorers reached the coastal cities of Somalia on their way to India. They called it Terra Incognita, which means an unknown land. These new discoveries encouraged many other European navigators to sail on the Somali coasts.

Darawiish sultanate of Diiriye Guure British, Italian and French imperialism all played an active role in the region in the 19th century. In 1884 at the European powers' conference in Berlin, Somalia was divided into five parts to dilute the homogeneity imposed by its language, religion, and ethnicity. The colonial powers divided Somalia into British Somaliland in the north, Italian Somalia in the south, the French Somali coast in Djibouti, Ogaden or

Getting there

Foreigners and overseas Somalis will need a visa. This can be arranged in three ways:

The Somali embassy in your home country can easily arrange it for US$40-50. Visa on arrival: if you have the right documents, you can easily get a visa on arrival; the whole process takes about 40 minutes. The most secure way is to arrange your whole journey through a local luxury hotel, which will arrange everything from visa processing, picking you up from the airport, providing protection, sightseeing, and everything you need.

By plane

Plane travel may be problematic to and from Somalia. However, air may be the safest means of travel to and from the country. The most reliable way to get in seems to be with African Express Airways, which has connections in Dubai, Nairobi, and other smaller Middle Eastern and East African ports of call. Tickets can be reserved in advance, but not purchased unless you are at their ticketing office – check back in to ensure you have a seat reserved if you will not be in the city you fly out of before your flight!

African Express Airways is a Kenyan airline that flies to Berbera, Bossaso, Galkacyo and Mogadishu primarily from Nairobi and Dubai, but also less frequently from smaller locations such as Sharjah, Entebbe or Jeddah. Major routes use MD-82 jets, shorter hops may be on a DC-9 or 120-ER. Jubba Airways is a Somali airline that operates to Mogadishu from Dubai, Bossaso and Jeddah. Flights also may be available to/from: Galkayo, Hargeisa and Sharjah. They use a Soviet-made Ilyushin-18 aircraft. They are the only airline to Somalia that accepts online booking reservations, but confirm with them 7 days in advance before flying. Daallo Airlines, the national carrier of Djibouti. 2–3 services per week from Djibouti also using an Ilyushin-18 aircraft. Flights arrive at Aden Abdulle International Airport (MGQ IATA, formerly Mogadishu International Airport), a few kilometers southwest of the center of Mogadishu. The airport is on the Indian Ocean

Getting around

Somalia was without an effective government for 17 years; this has had a negative effect on the roads and transit. Traffic is dangerous in Somalia. There may be landmines in different parts of the country. Roads are in poor condition and dangerous, especially in the Mogadishu and Jowhar regions. The main roads in the north-west from Hargeisa to Borama, Berbera and Sheikh have been resurfaced and demined. There are two different modes of public transportation that you can use in Somalia: buses and taxis. The common rule of the road that seems to still be in force is that Somalis generally drive on the right. Little ride hailing app works in Somalia.

See

Liido Beach and Gezira Beach near Mogadishu are very beautiful. Families usually go on weekends. Women must swim fully clothed, but resort investors provide a special place for couples, as Somalia is a Muslim country, and does not permit women to show much of their bodies or to mingle with men. Although improvements have been made, caution is advised. It is not clear as what the situation is now. In other circumstances, the beach would make for an ideal destination; however, the general threat of banditry and piracy along the coast make this, along with every other option in the country, risky, and caution is usually advised. Visit some of the Dhulbahante garesas built during the era of Darawiish sultan Diiriye Guure, including:

Taleh Dhulbahante garesa Las Anod Dhulbahante garesa

Do

In Mogadishu, security guards must accompany foreigners. Do not go alone if you are a foreign tourist.

Old Shanghai City Liido Beach, Mogadishu Mogadishu Governor's House Mogadishu Fish Market Gezira Beach Mogadishu Fruit Market Gezira Livestock Market Bakara Market Black Hawk down crash site Liido Marine Life Academy

Buy

Money

The official currency of Somalia (except Somaliland) is the Somali shilling (shilin), denoted by the symbol Sh.So., or in Arabic, شلن‎‎. The ISO currency code is SOS. As of Apr 2026, many businesses trade only in US dollars, and refuse to accept Somali shillings as dollarization of the economy has accelerated. If you are buying shillings, you may get a slightly better exchange rate on the black market. The only banknote in circulation is the 1000-shilling note, which was last printed in 1991. There are no shilling coins.

Shopping The Bakaara Market (Somali: Suuqa Bakaaraha) is a Mogadishu open market and the largest in Somalia. Bakaara Market is in the heart of Mogadishu. The market was created in late 1972 during the reign of Siad Barre. Proprietors sold and still sell daily essentials (including staples such as maize, sorghum, beans, peanuts, sesame, wheat and rice), petrol and medicine. Despite a new Coalition government taking control, Somali markets continue to operate largely in the absence of regulations. A wide array of weaponry is also sold, with guns sometimes being the only thing for sale at some markets. 80% of Somali males own a weapon. Be very cautious, as customers will often test thei