Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

MUKDISHU (Magodoxo)

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V18, Page 958 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

MUKDISHU (Magodoxo) , a seaport of See also:Italian See also:Somaliland, See also:East See also:Africa, in 2° 1' N., 45° 24' E. It is built on the sandy See also:coast which separates the Webi Shebeli fron the See also:sea. The See also:harbour is open. Mukdishu, formerly extensive, is largely in ruins; it consists of two villages, Hamarhwin to the See also:south and Shingani to the See also:north. There are some houses in the Moorish See also:style and a See also:mosque among the ruins bears date 636 A.H. (i.e. A.D. 1238). Between the two settlements is the See also:governor's See also:palace and north of the See also:town is a massive square See also:tower built by the Portuguese in the 16th See also:century. The See also:population, about 5000, is mainly composed of descendants of See also:negro slaves known as Abesh. There are also Somali, Arab and See also:Hindu settlers. Mukdishu is mentioned by Marco See also:Polo and described by See also:Ibn Batuta as an " immense " See also:city.

This was in the See also:

early See also:part of the 14th century. It was a flourishing See also:port and had many See also:fine mosques when captured by the Portuguese (about 1510). Under See also:Portugal the See also:place See also:fell into decay. It passed in the 17th century into the See also:possession of the imams of See also:Muscat, but in the 18th century became practically See also:independent. It was reconquered by Seyyid Said c. 183o, and on the See also:division of his dominions fell to See also:Zanzibar. In 1892 it was transferred to See also:Italy (see SOMALILAND, Italian). The name of the town is spelt in a See also:great variety of ways, including Madeigascar, whence the name of the See also:island of See also:Madagascar. See also:Alfred Grandidier points out that the Portuguese, misled by Marco Polo's description of Mukdishu as an island, fancied they had discovered the See also:land of which he wrote when they touched at Madagascar.

End of Article: MUKDISHU (Magodoxo)

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
MUKDEN (Chinese Sheengking) 		[next]
MULA

Site © 2006 - Net Industries