Merca

Merca
Marka
مَركة
City

Merca beachside.
Merca

Location in Somalia

Coordinates: 01°41′00″N 044°45′00″E / 1.68333°N 44.75000°E / 1.68333; 44.75000Coordinates: 01°41′00″N 044°45′00″E / 1.68333°N 44.75000°E / 1.68333; 44.75000
Country  Somalia
Region Lower Shebelle
District Merca
Population
 • Total 230,100
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)

Merca (Somali: Marka, Arabic: مركة‎) is an ancient port city in the southern Lower Shebelle province of Somalia. Facing the Indian Ocean, it is the main town in the province. It is located approximately 109 km (68 mi) to the southwest of the nation's capital, Mogadishu.

History

The Biimaal Sultanate of Merca fought against the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland in a twenty-year war known as the Biimaal revolt. Monuments erected in memory of slain soldiers can still be found in Merca. The Biimaal tribe was the only tribe fight against the colonial rule of Italy, and was lead by the sultanate of Abdirahman Ali Isse family by the brigadiers of Sheikh Kabtoole and Sheikh Abiikar Gaafley.

Merca abandoned by government forces and captured by Al-Shabaab in February of 2016.[1] It was recaptured by the Somali National Army along with African Union troops, a few days later. A small battle was fought in which a Somali soldier, several militants, and four civilians died.[2]

Demographics

As of 2000, Merca had a population of around 230,100 inhabitants.[3]

Transportation

Merca has a jetty-class seaport, the Port of Merca.[4]

The nearest airport to the city is the K50 Airport in the Lower Shebelle province.

Art

Although visual art is not popular in Somalia due to prevailing beliefs that it contradicts Islam's proscription on all forms of idolatry, a lot of the known visual art in the country derives from the small historical town of Merca. Known for its beautiful white sandy beaches and orange dunes, the city's picturesque contrast of colors serves as an inspiration for local visual artists.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/05/al-shabaab-militants-retake-somali-port-merka-african-union
  2. ↑ "Somali troops 'retake' key port city of Merca from al-Shabab - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
  3. ↑ "Somalia City & Town Population". Tageo. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  4. ↑ "Istanbul conference on Somalia 21 – 23 May 2010 - Draft discussion paper for Round Table "Transport infrastructure"" (PDF). Government of Somalia. Retrieved 31 August 2013.

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, February 12, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.