El-Sheikh

Town in Sahil, Somaliland

El-Sheikh

Buurta Almis, جبل ألمس

Town

A beach in El-Sheikh

El-Sheikh

Location in Somaliland

Show map of Sahil, Somaliland

El-Sheikh

El-Sheikh (Somaliland)

Show map of Somaliland

Coordinates: 10°26′22″N 44°15′38″E﻿ / ﻿10.43944°N 44.26056°E﻿ / 10.43944; 44.26056
Country|  Somaliland
Region| Sahil
District| Berbera
Time zone| UTC+3 (EAT)

El-Sheikh (Somali: Ceel-Sheekh) is a coastal settlement in the western edge of the Sahil region of Somaliland.[1][2][3][4]

## History

[edit]

Ibn Majid's notes on El-Sheikh, Berbera, and Siyara

El-Sheikh was also known historically as Buurta Almis or جبل ألمس Jebel Amis after the nearby Mount Almis just south of the settlement. It was a well known landmark to navigators and legendary Arab explorer Ahmad ibn Mājid wrote of El-Sheikh and a few other notable landmarks and ports of the northern Somali coast, including Berbera, Siyara, the Sa'ad ad-Din islands aka the Zeila Archipelago near Zeila, Alula, Maydh, Ruguda, Heis and El-Darad.[5] Richard Burton visited the settlement and noted the mountain in his map.[6]

After the Habr Awal massacre of Richard Burton's travel party and death of a number of British officers in 1854 led the Royal Navy to blockad the Ciise Muuse coast. The blockade was established from Mount Almis to Siyara and crippled trade in Berbera and Bulhar with a settlement being reached in 1856.[7]

El-Sheikh remained a well used by the Habr Awal Ciise Muuse throughout the British Somaliland period and this is noted in the late 1940s and 50s survey of the protectorate.[8]

## Demographics

[edit]

The Sacad Muuse subclan of the Isaaq Somali reside in Ceel-Sheekh and its environs.

## See also

[edit]

* Berbera
* Bulhar
* Siyara
* Zeila

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs".
2. ^ Ceel Sheekh - coordinates
3. ^ Njeri, Sarah (2016). "A minefield of possibilities : the viability of liberal peace in Somaliland, with particular reference to mine action". S2CID 132393831. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
4. ^ "Ceel Sheekh: Magaalo Soomaaliyeed oo ay quruxdeeda dayacan tahay". BBC News Somali (in Somali). Retrieved 2020-09-11.
5. ^ "Ibn Majid". Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. 2005. ISBN 978-1-135-45932-1.
6. ^ Richard Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa, Preface
7. ^ Speke, John (1864). What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. Blackwood. p. 146\. ISBN 9780460000505. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
8. ^ Hunt, John Anthony (1951). A General Survey of the Somaliland Protectorate 1944-1950: Final Report on "An Economic Survey and Reconnaissance of the British Somaliland Protectorate 1944-1950,". p. 62.

## External links

[edit]

* Ceel Sheekh - coordinates