Harar,known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey,is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is also known in Arabic as the City of Saints.
The Songhai people are an ethnolinguistic group in West Africa who speak the various Songhai languages. Their history and lingua franca are linked to the Songhai Empire,which dominated the western Sahel in the 15th and 16th centuries. Predominantly a Muslim community,the Songhai are found primarily throughout Niger and Mali in the Western sudanic region. The name Songhai was historically neither an ethnic nor linguistic designation,but a name for the ruling caste of the Songhay Empire,which are the Songhai proper of sunni and Askya dynasty found predominantly in present-Niger. However,the correct term used to refer to this group of people collectively by the natives is "Ayneha". Although some Speakers in Mali have also adopted the name Songhay as an ethnic designation,other Songhay-speaking groups identify themselves by other ethnic terms such as Zarma or Isawaghen. The dialect of Koyraboro Senni spoken in Gao is unintelligible to speakers of the Zarma dialect of Niger,according to at least one report. The Songhay languages are commonly taken to be Nilo-Saharan,but this classification remains controversial. Nicolai considers the Songhay languages as an Afroasiatic Berber subgroup or a new subgroup of Semitic languages restructured under Mande and Nilo-Saharan influence,the lexicon of Songhay languages includes many completes lexical fields close to Berbers languages,old and new Semitic,Northern Songhay speakers are Berbers from Tuareg people :Dimmendaal (2008) believes that for now it is best considered an independent language family.
Gao,or Gawgaw/Kawkaw,is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger,320 km (200 mi) east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
Koumbi Saleh,or Kumbi Saleh,is the site of a ruined ancient and medieval city in south east Mauritania that may have been the capital of the Ghana Empire.
Islam is the second-largest religion in Ethiopia behind Christianity,with 31.3 to 35.9 percent of the total population of around 113.5 million people professing the religion as of 2022.
The Mandé peoples are an ethnolinguistic grouping of native African ethnic groups who speak Mande languages. Various Mandéspeaking ethnic groups are found particularly in the western regions of West Africa. The Mandé-speaking languages are divided into two primary groups:East Mandéand West Mandé.
Amir Abdullahi,formally Abd Allah II ibn 'Ali 'Abd ash-Shakur or Amir Hajji 'Abdu'llahi II ibn 'Ali 'Abdu's Shakur,was the last amir of Harar and ruled from late 1884 to 26 January 1887,when the state was terminated,following the defeat of the Harari troops at the Battle of Chelenqo on 9 January.
Bono State was a trading state created by the Bono people,located in what is now southern Ghana. Bonoman was a medieval Akan kingdom in what is now Bono,Bono East and Ahafo region respectively named after the and Eastern Ivory Coast. It is generally accepted as the origin of the subgroups of the Akan people who migrated out of the state at various times to create new Akan states in search of gold. The gold trade,which started to boom in Bonoman as early in the 12th century,was the genesis of Akan power and wealth in the region,beginning in the Middle Ages.
Amud or Amoud is an ancient,ruined town in the Awdal region of Somaliland. Named after its patron Saint Amud it was a center of activity during the Golden Age of the Adal Kingdom. The archaeological site is situated 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level,around 10 km southeast of the regional capital Borama.
Due to various differences in cultural histories and environmental resources,West African nations developed glass traditions distinct from Egypt,North Africa and the rest of the world. The presence of glass in Sub-Saharan Africa mostly consists of the importation of glass beads shipped primarily from the Middle East and Indian as early as 200-300AD;later,from Portugal,the Netherlands,and Venice.
Located on the Niger Bend in present-day Mali,Gao was the political center of a trading state known to Arab chroniclers as Gawgaw,from the seventh to the thirteenth century CE. Historical accounts indicate that Gawgaw included a trading town called Sarneh,and across the river,a royal town with a palace and mosque,and king whose treasure was salt. Gao-Saney is a large settlement mound seven km distant from the royal town of Gao,and is thought to be the site of the ancient trading center. The site has produced extensive archaeological evidence from its first millennium occupation,with proposed chronology between 700 and 1100 CE. Another archaeology site,Gao Ancien,roughly corresponds with descriptions of the royal town,but further research is needed.
The Gao Empire preceded the Songhai Empire in the region of the Middle Niger. It owes its name to the town of Gao located at the eastern Niger bend.
The Harla,also known as Harala,Haralla are an ethnic group that once inhabited Somalia,Djibouti and Ethiopia. They spoke the now-extinct Harla language,which belonged to either the Cushitic or Semitic branches of the Afroasiatic family.
Jamia Mosque, also known as Grand mosque of Harar is a mosque in Harar,a city in eastern Ethiopia. It is located in the old walled city,the Harar Jugol,which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Harla Kingdom was a 6th century Harla state centered around what is present day eastern Ethiopia. The kingdom had trading relations with the Ayyubid and Tang dynasties. It also established its own currency and calendar. The kingdom is mentioned in Ethiopian accounts during the reign of Emperor Amda Seyon in the fourteenth century. According to researcher Dominico Patassini,Harla kingdom was succeeded by Harar city-state in the sixteenth century.
Islamic archaeology involves the recovery and scientific investigation of the material remains of past cultures that can illuminate the periods and descriptions in the Quran,and early Islam. The science of archaeology grew out of the older multi-disciplinary study known as antiquarianism. The Egyptian "Antiquities Authority" was established in 1858 and remains a government organization which serves to protect and preserve the heritage and ancient history of Egypt.
Hubat,also known as Hobat,or Kubat was a historical Muslim state located in present-day eastern Ethiopia. Historically part of the Adal region alongside Gidaya and Hargaya states on the Harar plateau. Hubat is today within a district known as Adare Qadima which includes Garamuelta and its surroundings in Oromia region. The area is 30 km north west of Harar city at Hubeta,according to historian George Huntingford. Trimingham locates it as the region between Harar and Jaldessa. Archaeologist Timothy Insoll considers Harla town to be Hubat the capital of the now defunct Harla Kingdom.
Scarification in Africa is a major aspect of African cultures and cultural practice among African ethnic groups;the practice of scarification in Africa includes the process of making "superficial incisions on the skin using stones,glass,knives,or other tools to create meaningful pictures,words,or designs" and expresses "clan identity,status within a community,passage into adulthood,or spiritual significance."
Argobba Bari,more commonly known as Argob Bari meaning "Argobba gate" is one of five ancient gates of Harar,Ethiopia. This gate is also known as the gate of compassion. The gate,which is now located in the eastern part of the Old City,was named in memory of the Argobba people who fled from Ifat during their conflict with Abyssinia in the fifteenth century and settled outside the town of the lowlands in Aw Abdal.
Badro Bari,meaning "Badr gate" is one of five ancient gates of Harar,Ethiopia. It was named after the notable seventh century conflict in Islamic history called the Battle of Badr. The vicinity of the gate was the ground for the Malassay military drills for cadets.
