Somali Architecture

Somali architecture spans the ancient, medieval and early modern building traditions of Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa regions inhabited by Somali peoples, encompassing stone cities, castles, citadels, fortresses, mosques, aqueducts, lighthouses, towers and tombs. Its ancient phase produced burial cairns and structures built from dressed and dry stone; its medieval phase, shaped by the arrival of Islam, introduced coral stone, sundried brick and limestone construction; and its early modern phase added military fortifications along with cement and other Western building methods introduced through colonial contact. Somali Islamic architecture is distinguished from other African traditions by features including distinctive minarets on its mosques and pillar tombs.