Zeila

Zeila is a small coastal town located in the western part of Awdal region, on the shore of the Red Sea, close to the border with Djibouti. The town sits on a narrow peninsula surrounded by sea. It currently falls under the administration of Somaliland, which claims independence but lacks widespread international recognition, while it is formally considered part of the internationally recognized state of Somalia.

Zeila is one of the earliest documented ports in the Horn of Africa. Medieval Arabic writers such as al-Yacquubi (9th century) and al-Masudi (10th century) mention it as a commercial site. Many modern scholars identify Zeila with Avalites, mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century) and in Ptolemy's works, though this remains disputed.

Geography and surroundings

The Zeila area features coral reefs, mangroves, and islands offshore known as the Zeila Archipelago, described as comprising sixty islands, the largest of which include Sacad Diin, Aybat, and Raas Gomali. The interior consists of arid steppe. Berbera lies approximately 270 km to the east, Borama 243 km away, and the Ethiopian city of Harar about 320 km to the west.

Medieval period and Islamic sultanates

Zeila was a major center of trade and Islam for the Ifat Sultanate and subsequently the Adal Sultanate. Ibn Battuta visited the town in the 14th century. Archaeological work has uncovered coral rubble, pottery, and wells with Islamic and Chinese characteristics from the 13th to 18th centuries, used to determine the orientation of mosque mihrabs. On Sacad Diin Island, roughly 8 km offshore, are ruins of graves and structures, one of which is traditionally identified as belonging to Sultan Sacad ad-Din.

19th century and foreign administration

After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt (the Khedivate) strengthened its control of the northern Somali coast, with Zeila and Berbera among the major ports it developed. When Egypt withdrew in 1884, Britain—operating from Aden—took control of Zeila, Bulhar, and Berbera, and established them as a protectorate between 1885 and 1887. In 1888, the northern border was demarcated with France (which controlled present-day Djibouti).

Economic decline

For a long period, Zeila was the maritime outlet for trade from Harar and the Ethiopian interior: exports included livestock, hides, coffee, and other goods, while imports included cloth and metal. Construction of the Djibouti–Addis Ababa railway, which France authorized with Menelik in 1894, displaced this trade. British officials in Aden warned in 1896–1897 that Zeila's caravan trade could not compete with railway commerce, which proved true once Djibouti became the region's main port. During the colonial period, there were attempts to arrange for Ethiopia to gain sea access through Zeila in exchange for ceding the Hawd region; these plans were never implemented.

Present conditions

Today Zeila is a small town serving as the center of Zeila district, with an economy based on fishing, livestock, farming, and border trade with Djibouti. The former port is economically inactive, while the ruins of older buildings, mosques, and historical sites attract researchers.