Abasa (ancient town in ruin) in Awdal Region from Adal era

[Simodi]

Abasa is an ancient town in the northwestern Awdal region of Somalia.

Abasa is situated 44 km to the north of Borama, on the road from Zeila. A large town, it features numerous ruined structures stretching over a wide area. The buildings were built in a rectangular style, and the now ruined Abasa Mosque has large columns of two different types: cylindrical and cruciform. 14th to 16th century Islamic pottery and Chinese sherds have also been found here, which are believed to be relics from the Adal Sultanate's commercial activities.

Somaliland: With Addis Ababa & Eastern Ethiopia

By Philip Briggs

 

[fox]

Any photos?

 

[Simodi]

Any photos?

If you could somehow download this book, it has photos of the ruins. It used to be free, but I'm assuming now you have to sign up or something.

The book is called Ruined towns of Somaliland

https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour...f-somaliland/3269BA65D3DB98E1AC17BFBBEED436DE

The synopsis of the book:

Periodical reference to the ‘Mysterious Ruined Cities of Somaliland’, citing them as an ‘unsolved riddle of Africa’, have appeared in books and articles from time to time. The majority of these ruined towns lie in the west of British Somaliland, within the present administrative district of Borama, or across the frontier in the adjacent areas of Ethiopia, roughly half way between the ancient port of Zeila and the walled town of Harar. The Somalis of today can throw no light on their history.

A series of investigations were carried out by Captain R. H. R. Taylor and myself during the week-ends available in 1934. The sites of ten ruined towns were already more or less vaguely known, while eleven new sites, off the beaten track and overgrown with bush, in both Ethiopia and British Somaliland, were one by one traced and visited as leave permitted. Circumstances did not permit of excavation beyond the clearing out of two houses and the sinking of a trial trench across a refuse heap, but notes were made and a careful record kept of all surface finds. The representative collection of relics brought home and presented to the Department of Ethnology of the British Museum amounted to several thousand items, mostly fragmentary. The numerous types of objects were classified and made it possible to assign the period of occupation of the towns to the 15th and 16th centuries.


Interesting that most of these towns are in Awdal Region. Indicating the rich history of the place.

 

[Grant]

If you could somehow download this book, it has photos of the ruins. It used to be free, but I'm assuming now you have to sign up or something.

The book is called Ruined towns of Somaliland

https://www.cambridge.org/core/jour...f-somaliland/3269BA65D3DB98E1AC17BFBBEED436DE

The synopsis of the book:

Periodical reference to the ‘Mysterious Ruined Cities of Somaliland’, citing them as an ‘unsolved riddle of Africa’, have appeared in books and articles from time to time. The majority of these ruined towns lie in the west of British Somaliland, within the present administrative district of Borama, or across the frontier in the adjacent areas of Ethiopia, roughly half way between the ancient port of Zeila and the walled town of Harar. The Somalis of today can throw no light on their history.

A series of investigations were carried out by Captain R. H. R. Taylor and myself during the week-ends available in 1934. The sites of ten ruined towns were already more or less vaguely known, while eleven new sites, off the beaten track and overgrown with bush, in both Ethiopia and British Somaliland, were one by one traced and visited as leave permitted. Circumstances did not permit of excavation beyond the clearing out of two houses and the sinking of a trial trench across a refuse heap, but notes were made and a careful record kept of all surface finds. The representative collection of relics brought home and presented to the Department of Ethnology of the British Museum amounted to several thousand items, mostly fragmentary. The numerous types of objects were classified and made it possible to assign the period of occupation of the towns to the 15th and 16th centuries.


Interesting that most of these towns are in Awdal Region. Indicating the rich history of the place.

Here's a direct link to the full book. 1992. It's a big compilation. The extract was written in 1937 and disagrees remarkably from the dates given by Cole for Amud.

https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/saoc53.pdf

 

[Simodi]

Here's a direct link to the full book. 1992. It's a big compilation. The extract was written in 1937 and disagrees remarkably from the dates given by Cole for Amud.

https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/saoc53.pdf

Thanks for the link!

 

[Grant]

Thanks for the link!

That's an excellent text, (Check out especially the African trade.) but not the right one. Still working on that.

 

[Simodi]

I found a video on Youtube of some guys driving through the vicinity of Abasa:

@Grant

 

[horumar]

Here's a direct link to the full book. 1992. It's a big compilation. The extract was written in 1937 and disagrees remarkably from the dates given by Cole for Amud.

https://oi.uchicago.edu/sites/oi.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/shared/docs/saoc53.pdf

I found a video on Youtube of some guys driving through the vicinity of Abasa:

@Grant

Thank you so much guys for sharing this!! Much appreciated