Zeila is a historic city in the north-western reaches of Somalia, in the autonomous republic of Somaliland.

Understand

Zeila was renowned for its ancient history and buildings, as it was a large city of the Adal Sultanate. The city did not escape the Civil War of the 1990s, and many of the monuments are badly damaged. Despite this, the government of Somaliland has been attempting to revive the tourism sector and promote visits to this forgotten place.

See

The ancient Zeila Mosque, damaged by the Civil War but still standing.

A historic building in Zeila.

• 1 Masjid al-Qiblatayn. Nestled in the heart of Zeila, roughly central, this is one of the oldest mosques in Somalia, and contains the tomb of Sheikh Babu Dena. Although mostly in ruins, it is still an amazing monument. (updated Jun 2019)

Go next

• Djibouti - the border crossing is only a few kilometres away.