Hobyo (; so, Hobyo), is an ancient port city in

Galmudug Galmudug ( ar, جلمدج; it, Galmudugh), officially Galmudug State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Galmudug ee Somalia, Soomaaliya), is a States and regions of Somalia, Federal Member State in central Somalia, with its capital at Dhusamareb. ...

state in the north-central

Mudug Mudug ( so, Mudug; it, Mudugh) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north-central Somalia. The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005. Overview Physiographically, Mudug is bordered to the west by Ethiopia,Országismertető - Szomália ...

region of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

. Hobyo was founded as a coastal outpost by the

Ajuran Empire The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in the ...

during the 13th century.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: reconstructing the history of a pastoral people, 1600-1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.75. In the late 17th century the

Hiraab The Hiraab is a Somali clan of the larger Hawiye. The are decendents of gorgaarte hawiye. Gorgaarte hawiye is part of six major hawiye clans. Members live in central and southern Somalia, from Galkayo to kismaayo. They are also present in Ethiopi ...

successfully revolted against the

Ajuran Sultanate The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in the ...

who had been ruling Hobyo since the 13th century and established an independent

Hiraab Imamate The Hiraab Imamate ( so, Saldanadda Hiraab) also known as the Yacquubi Dynasty was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the late 17th century and 19th century until it was incorporated into Italian Somaliland. The Imama ...

.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society'', Philadelphia, 1982. According to Bernhard Helander of

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...

, "the Imam of Hawiye is a hereditary position that traditionally is held by a person of the first-born branch."

History

Ajuuran Empire and Hiraab Imamate period

Along with

Mareeg Mareeg (also known as Mareg, Meregh and Märēg) is a locality in the Galguduud region of central Somalia, in the Galmudug state. History The town was founded in the 13th century, during the period marked by the local ascendancy of the Ajuran Emp ...

, Hobyo developed as a coastal outpost by the

successfully revolted against the

and established an independent Hiraab Imamate According to Bernhard Helander of

, "the Imam of Hiraab is a hereditary position that traditionally is held by a person of the first-born branch." Lee Cassanelli in his book ''The Shaping of Somali society'' provides a historical picture of the Hiraab Immate. He writes: "According to local oral tradition, the

Hiraab imamate The Hiraab Imamate ( so, Saldanadda Hiraab) also known as the Yacquubi Dynasty was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the late 17th century and 19th century until it was incorporated into Italian Somaliland. The Imama ...

was a powerful alliance of closely related groups who shared a common lineage under the Gorgaarte clan divisions. It successfully revolted against the

and established an independent rule for at least two centuries from the seventeen hundreds and onwards. The alliance involved the army leaders and advisors of the

Habar Gidir The Habar Gidir (Somali: Habar Gidir, Arabic: هبر جدير) is a major subclan of the Hawiye. The clan has produced many prominent Somali figures, including the first Prime Minister of Somalia Abdullahi Issa Mohamud and Somalia's fifth Presi ...

and

Duduble The Hiraab is a Somali clan of the larger Hawiye. The are decendents of gorgaarte hawiye. Gorgaarte hawiye is part of six major hawiye clans. Members live in central and southern Somalia, from Galkayo to kismaayo. They are also present in Ethiopi ...

, a Fiqhi/Qadi of

Sheekhaal The Sheekhaal (var. Sheikhaal ( ar, شيخال), also known as Fiqi Omar, is a Somali clan. They inhabit Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and with considerable numbers also found in the North Eastern Province (Kenya), Northern Frontier District (NFD ...

, and the Imam was reserved for the

Mudulood The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia ( Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the No ...

branch who is believed to have been the first born. Once established, the Imamate ruled the territories from the Shabeelle valley, the Benaadir provinces, the Mareeg areas all the way to the arid lands of

. The agricultural centres of Eldher and

Harardhere Harardhere (, so, Xarardheere) is a historic town in the Mudug province of Somalia. It is situated in the autonomous Galmudug state and serves as the capital of the Harardhere District. History For most of its history, Harardhere was a histor ...

included the production of sorghum and beans, supplementing with herds of camels, cattle, goats and sheep. Livestock, hides and skin, whilst the aromatic woods and raisins were the primary exports as rice, other foodstuffs and clothes were imported. Merchants looking for exotic goods came to Hobyo to buy textiles, precious metals and pearls. The commercial goods harvested along the

Shabelle The Shebelle River ( so, Webi Shabeelle, ar, نهر شبيلي, am, እደላ) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. ...

river were brought to Hobyo for trade. Also, the increasing importance and rapid settlement of more southerly cities such as

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

further boosted the prosperity of Hobyo, as more and more ships made their way down the Somali coast and stopped in Hobyo to trade and replenish their supplies. The last Sultan of Hobyo was Sultan Ducaale Kahiye who managed to send Kenadiid who was working with the Italians to exile.

Climate

Hobyo has a

hot arid climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''BWh'').

Demographics

Hobyo has a population of around 11,800 inhabitants.Somalia City & Town PopulationTageo.com
Retrieved on 2011-12-15. The broader Hobyo District has a total population of 67,249 residents.

Transportation

Hobyo has a

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

which serves the town. For air transportation, the city is served by the

Obbia Airport Obbia Airport is an airstrip serving Hobyo, Somalia. Its single runway has a non-hardened surface and lies parallel to the coastline, about 2 km inland. It has a length of 1100 m according tthe Great Circle Mapperbut some 1800 m wheon satellite ...

. In August 2019, Qatar initiated a project to build the port of Hobyo as part of the development agreements signed between Somalia and Qatar in December 2018.

References

Bibliography

*{{cite book, first=Abdisalam M., last=Issa-Salwe, author-link=Abdisalam Issa-Salwe, title=The Collapse of the Somali State: The Impact of the Colonial Legacy , publisher=Haan Associates , year=1996 , location=London , isbn= 187420991X , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GxMOAQAAMAAJ

External links

Hobyo, Somalia
Populated places in Mudug Galmudug Ajuran Sultanate Populated coastal places in Somalia