Contents

A cartographic and photographic record of Mogadishu, Somalia, from the late 18th century to 1990. This page has been created and maintained by Rick Davies, a resident of the city in the 1980s. A record that is “in progress…” and updated whenever new material is found.

This website was hosted by the University of Wales - Swansea until 2007, within the Centre for Development Studies website.

What you can find here:

1. Photographs organised by time periods:
   1. Before the 20th century: Visitors from afar
   2. Before the First World War: The beginnings of Italian colonialisation
   3. Between the Wars: The Italian impact on the city
   4. 2nd World War: British control
   5. In the 1950s and 1960s: Under the Italian UN Mandate, and Independence
   6. In the 1970s and 1980s: Under Syad Barre’s regime
2. Aerial photographs of Mogadishu
3. Maps of Mogadishu, from the 1930’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s.
4. Political posters from the 1970’s and 1980s (from the E. Lingle Craig Preservation Laboratory, Indiana University, USA)
5. Personal photo collections (kindly provided, by those named)
   1. Mogadishu in 1946/47, by Mike Allcock (March 05)
   2. Mogadishu in the 1980’s, by Peter Brown, UK.
   3. Mogadishu (shopfront advertising) in the 1980’s, by Maria-Luisa Minio-Paluello (May 05)
   4. Other photos by Maria-Luisa Minio-Paluello and Craig Hayslip (May 05)
6. Links to the various photos of Fakhr Ad Din mosque, the oldest known building in Mogadishu: 1882A, 1882B, 1910, 1920s?, 1930sA , 1930sB , 1986, and on other websites: ArchNet,
7. Somaliland and Aden, including an 1860’s German map, Somali’s in Aden

What you can do:

1. Post your comments and questions on the Open Forum
2. Contribute photographs. Many of the photos have been contributed by visitors to the site. If you have photographs that could be of interest please contact rick@shimbir.demon.co.uk. You can send scanned copies of photos you have, or your can send the originals which I will scan and then return to you, at no cost.
3. Contribute information. If you want to make a comment about any or all of the photos you can do this either by:
   • Posting them publicly here in this Open Forum , provided by Bravenet.com ,
   • Emailing Rick at rick@shimbir.demon.co.uk
4. Find out when this page is updated, courtesy of ChangeDetection.com