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[eedit | eedit soorce]
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[eedit | eedit soorce]
As o 2000, Merca haed a population o aroond 230,100 indwallers.[2] Local residents hail frae Biyomaal an Barwaani.
Transportation[eedit | eedit soorce]
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[eedit | eedit soorce]
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[eedit | eedit soorce]
- ↑ 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.