By AyroTV.com – 2 June 2025
Why these ruins matter
Tucked into the plateaus and valleys of today’s Somaliland lie dozens of ruined stone settlements—silent witnesses to a time when the Adal Sultanate (1415-1577 CE) controlled a swath of the Horn of Africa that stretched from Zeila to the Red Sea and deep into the Ethiopian highlands. These towns were more than isolated villages; they formed a thriving inland urban network that linked camel-caravan routes to the bustling ports of Zeila, Berbera and, later, Harar. Their fate tells a larger story about trade, faith and warfare on the eve of European contact. (africanhistoryextra.com)
A quick primer on the Adal Sultanate
Founded after the decline of Ifat, Adal was a Sunni Muslim powerhouse that fought dogged wars with the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia, forged diplomatic links with the Ottomans and oversaw busy commercial corridors reaching Arabia, India and even China. At its zenith under sultans such as Badlay and Ahmad al-Ghazi (Ahmed Gurey), Adal’s influence ran from Cape Guardafui in the east to Suakin in Sudan. (Wikipedia)
Meet the stone towns
| Site | Region | Distinctive features | Approx. dates* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maduna | Sanaag | 3-metre-high mosque walls, baobab sentinel tree | 15th-17th c. (Wikipedia) |
| Amud | Awdal | Triangular-niche houses, hilltop layout, saint’s shrine | 15th c. onward (Wikipedia) |
| Abasa | Awdal | 200+ houses, two mosques, “Fort of Queen Kola” | 13th-16th c. (Somali Spot | Forum, News, Videos) |
| Fardowsa (Sheikh) | Sahil | Multi-room merchants’ quarter, imported porcelain | 14th-16th c. (Wikipedia) |
| *Dating based on pottery, coin finds and architectural style. |
Design hallmarks
- Dry-stone construction: Coral-rag and limestone blocks mortar-free but interlocked with precision.
- Mosque-centric plans: Each town had at least one congregational mosque with a mihrab facing Mecca.
- Caravanserai courts: Large enclosures for pack-animals reflect booming inland–coast trade.
How did they prosper?
- Trade winds and monsoons – Seasonal winds sped dhows toward Zeila and Berbera, then camel caravans hauled textiles, incense and African ivory inland.
- Religious magnetism – Scholars from the wider Islamic world settled here, founding madrasas and Sufi lodges that still draw annual pilgrimages.
- Mining & minting – Silver coins recovered at Awbube and Amud bear Cairo and Damascus stamps, proof of bullion flowing through Adal’s coffers. (Wikipedia)
Why did the towns decline?
- Shifting trade currents: After 1550, Indian Ocean commerce favoured coastal hubs controlled by the Ottomans and, later, the Portuguese.
- Prolonged warfare: The Ethiopian-Adal wars left hinterland towns exposed; many were abandoned as populations sought fortified coastal refuges.
- Environmental change: Deforestation for timber and an apparent drop in rainfall likely made sustaining large inland populations harder.
What’s at stake today?
- Heritage in peril – Most ruins remain unguarded, subject to stone-looting and erosion.
- Tourism potential – Proper signage, local guides and modest visitor centres could turn Somaliland’s highlands into a cultural-heritage circuit akin to Ethiopia’s Axum or Kenya’s Gede.
- Identity & pride – For Somali communities, these sites are tangible proof of a sophisticated urban past often overshadowed by narratives of nomadism.
Where do we go from here?
- Community-led conservation – Empower nearby villages with micro-grants to fence sites, train guides and document oral histories.
- Academic partnerships – Invite Somali universities to join digs with international archaeologists; data should be open-access and bilingual (Somali/English).
- Digital storytelling – AyroTV will produce a mini-doc series, flying drone cameras over Maduna and Amud to visualize forgotten skylines and spark diaspora interest.
Final thought
The ruined towns of Adal remind us that stone and faith once stitched the Somali plateau into a cosmopolitan crossroads. Preserving—and proudly telling—this story is key to shaping a future that values both heritage and development.
Have footage or family lore about these sites?
Reach out to info@ayrotv.com and let’s put history back on the map.
(Reporting by AyroTV’s history desk, Nairobi. With thanks to AfricanHistoryExtra and open-source archaeology archives.)
