Merca

Merca
Merca; Marka; مَركة
	Ceety
	Merca beachside.
	Merca Location in Somalie
	Coordinates: 01°41′00″N 044°45′00″E / 1.68333°N 44.75000°ECoordinates: 01°41′00″N 044°45′00″E / 1.68333°N 44.75000°E
Kintra	Somalie
Region	Shabeellaha Hoose
Destrict	Merca
Population
• Total	230,100
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Merca (Somali: Marka, Arabic: مركة‎) is a auncient port ceety in the soothren Lawer Shebelle (Shabeellaha Hoose) region o Somalie. Facin the Indie Ocean, it is the main toun in the province. It is locatit approximately 109 km (68 mi) soothwast o the naition's caipital, Mogadishu.

History

Merca wis established in the 5t century bi the Biyomaal o present day Somalie. The first Somalis arrived in the ceety in the 3rd century BCE an gained control o the aurie an the local tred. Durin the Middle Ages, the aurie wis ane o several prominent admeenistrative centers o the Ajuran Sultanate. The polity fuirmit ane o the lairgest kinricks in the soothren hauf o the Horn region.

The first written reference tae the Ajuran dates back tae a 13t-century document bi the Arab geographer, Ibn Sa'id, who describit Merca as dae Guilliani, Schleicher an Cerulli.^[1]

The Bimaal Sultanate o Marka focht against the Italian colonialists o Italian Somaliland in a twinty-year war kent as the Bimaal revolt in which mony o thair warriors assassinatit several Italian govrenors. Durin the Bimaal Revolt, several prominent leaders wur killed as well. Monuments erectit in thair memory can still be foond in Marka.

Demographics

As o 2000, Merca haed a population o aroond 230,100 indwallers.^[2] Local residents hail frae Biyomaal an Barwaani.

Transportation

Merca haes a jetty-cless seaport, the Port o Merca.^[3]

The nearest airport tae the ceety is the K50 Airport in Shabellaha Hoose region.

Airt

Awtho visual airt is no popular in Somalie due tae prevailin beliefs that it contradicts Islam's proscription on aw fuirms o idolatry, a lot o the kent visual airt in the kintra derives frae the smaw historical toun o Merca. Kent for its bonnie white sandy beaches an orange dunes, the ceety's picturesque contrast o colors serves as a inspiration for local visual airtists.

Notes

↑ Herbert S. Lewis, "The Origins of the Galla and Somali", in The Journal of African History. Cambridge University Press, 1966, pp 27–30.
↑ Somalia City & Town Population. Tageo.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-15.
↑ "Istanbul conference on Somalia 21 – 23 May 2010 - Draft discussion paper for Round Table "Transport infrastructure"" (PDF). Government of Somalia. Retrieved 31 August 2013.

[1] Herbert S. Lewis, "The Origins of the Galla and Somali", in The Journal of African History. Cambridge University Press, 1966, pp 27–30.

[tageo-2] Somalia City & Town Population. Tageo.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-15.

[Icsti-3] "Istanbul conference on Somalia 21 – 23 May 2010 - Draft discussion paper for Round Table "Transport infrastructure"" (PDF). Government of Somalia. Retrieved 31 August 2013.

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