Old Photos of Berbera (1896)

[merka]

 

[ethan bradberry]

 

[Prince Abubu]

It was richer and more important than many of the gulf cities like Abu Dhabi, Doha etc. How Somalis have fallen.

 

[merka]

It was richer and more important than many of the gulf cities like Abu Dhabi, Doha etc. How Somalis have fallen.

Berbera has suffered through many years of neglect. It will soon return to it's former glory

 

[Kezira]

There was no colour in the photos year 1896

 

[Apollo]

There was no colour in the photos year 1896

There are technologies to reconstruct the original color of monochrome historical images.

 

[EternalLightX]

The women are half naked that would totally not be accepted in modern Somalia !!! You can see that ladies breasts !! Cover up !!

 

[Xooshdheere]

Spoiler

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[Kezira]

There are technologies to reconstruct the original color of monochrome historical images.

Somalians don't have those technologies

 

[Thegoodshepherd]

Berbera has suffered through many years of neglect. It will soon return to it's former glory

Too late for that now. It could have happened 26 years when Somaliland was first created, but the path dependency has set in, and a shift of economic activity away from Hargaysa is unlikely. A decsion in 91 to make Berbera the capital would have by now given Somaliland a third economic center and would have relieved the population pressure faced by Hargaysa. It is going to be very difficult to convince businessess and people to move from Hargaysa to Berbera now that the former is basically the center of politics and business.

The funny thing is that Somaliland recreated the same situation that existed in the Somalia they wanted to escape. They complained of overcentralization, and when they got the opportunity they overcentralized.

 

[merka]

Too late for that now. It could have happened 26 years when Somaliland was first created, but the path dependency has set in, and a shift of economic activity away from Hargaysa is unlikely. A decsion in 91 to make Berbera the capital would have by now given Somaliland a third economic center and would have relieved the population pressure faced by Hargaysa. It is going to be very difficult to convince businessess and people to move from Hargaysa to Berbera now that the former is basically the center of politics and business.

The funny thing is that Somaliland recreated the same situation that existed in the Somalia they wanted to escape. They complained of overcentralization, and when they got the opportunity they overcentralized.

26 years ago Berbera was virtually destroyed during the civil war in the 80s. It was even more damaged than Hargeisa since it was the regime's final stronghold before retreating back to the south.

There was no choice but to centralize since there wasn't enough resources to build a new capital city from scratch. Hargeisa already had government buildings left behind by the regime so they were just taken over and used by the Somaliland govt.

Plus Berbera would not be a suitable capital anyway because of it's high temperature in the summer and with Hargeisa not being that far away. Which made Berbera only a transit for goods going to Hargeisa markets.

But if you go there now you'll see a lot of buildings going up and people buying land in anticipation of the port upgrades.

You can also see a similar boom in Wajaale on the Ethiopian border. Both Wajaale and Berbera will be major commercial centres in the next 10 years. Especially with Hargeisa becoming overcrowded.

 

[oday1kenobi]

It was richer and more important than many of the gulf cities like Abu Dhabi, Doha etc. How Somalis have fallen.

Indeed, Berbera was a strategic & vital port for the entire region in the past and can rise again in the future.

Description of Berbera:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...UAhWLCsAKHZ44DLEQ6AEIMzAC#v=onepage&q&f=false

Berbera's infamous trade fair:

(Seeing how the total Somali population hovered around a 1 million by the beginning of the 20th century, Berbera attracted over 40,000 souls almost 200 years ago (early 19th century) when the total population of the north probably didn't even reach 200,000 souls!).

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...VAhVSF8AKHQRTAVoQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Berbera & Bulaxaar's relation to Aden:

And when things didn't go well, the Ciise Muuse (Habr Awal) who dominated the port were prepared:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=P1CRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=berbera+north+east+monsoon&source=bl&ots=B55GqtUtNE&sig=P9el2erG5jK0dsX0yxQjEXCTDNs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjIgfSGgvzUAhVQGsAKHQ4qAxgQ6AEIOTAE#v=onepage&q=berbera north east monsoon&f=false

Trade caravans of the interior:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...VAhWhDMAKHTxgAWgQ6AEILzAE#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

[Yonis]

nice photos

 

[World]

View attachment 25089(Seeing how the total Somali population hovered around a 1 million by the beginning of the 20th century, Berbera attracted over 40,000 souls almost 200 years ago (early 19th century) when the total population of the north probably didn't even reach 200,000 souls!).

The population of Mongols was around 2 million in the 13th century, and the population of Mongolia is 3 million today.

The population of Somalis probably hoovered around 1m for centuries.

 

[oday1kenobi]

Old engraving of Berbera:

Local fishermen of Berbera:

 

[Gilgamesh]

#MakeBerberaGreatAgain!

Lots of my relatives are scrambling for plots of land. This is the last chance before it takes.

 

[oday1kenobi]

And when things didn't go well, the Ciise Muuse (Habr Awal) who dominated the port were prepared:

Edit: Meant to say Nuh Ismail, S/Muuse (both Ayal Ahmed & Ayal Yoonis fall under Nuh) dominated the port since they were the chief proprietors of Berbera since at least the 16th century up untill the 19th century.

Apologies for the big mistake, beesha HA.


@waraabe your people are blessed

 

[waraabe]

Edit: Meant to say Nuh Ismail, S/Muuse (both Ayal Ahmed & Ayal Yoonis fall under Nuh) dominated the port since they were the chief proprietors of Berbera since at least the 16th century up untill the 19th century.

Apologies for the big mistake, beesha HA.


@waraabe your people are blessed

My sub sub used to dominate trade in Berbera before we moved to hargeisa when it was founded