Shangani

This is one of the two ancient quarters of Mogadishu's old town, together with neighbouring Hamar Weyne, and long formed the historic core of the coastal trading city. Its narrow lanes were once lined with coral-stone houses, mosques and merchant residences reflecting Arab, Persian and Swahili influence. The district held the seat of the sultanate and later colonial administration. Though heavily damaged during years of civil war, Shangani preserves the memory of Mogadishu's cosmopolitan mercantile past.