GO·SOYour Gateway to Somaliland
Illustrative image of coffee being poured into small decorated cups, evoking Somaliland culture and hospitality

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Culture

Poetry, food, traditions and the people behind them. A guide to living Somaliland culture.

Discover Somaliland culture

Somaliland culture is built on words, food and family. Poetry has halted clan fighting, defied a dictator and still shapes national debate. For visitors, the best place to feel this tradition is the Hargeisa International Book Fair, held most years in July.

At the table, the day often starts with laxoox pancakes and spiced tea, and lunch is rice and meat with a banana on the side. A traditional wedding brings two families together through negotiation, a contract sealed before witnesses and a celebration that once lasted a week. Our stories explore Somaliland culture with care and sources, and you can read more about Somali literature on Wikipedia.

Women in colourful clothes preparing dough for laxoox pancakes at a market in HargeisaPhoto: Gerard van de Bruinhorst, CC BY-SA 4.0Somali Phrases for Travellers: Greetings, Numbers and Food WordsA few Somali phrases for travellers go a long way in Somaliland. Say hello, thank your host and order tea in Somali, and you will see faces light up.Read the storyThe Amoud University monument near Borama, a symbol of education in SomalilandPhoto: Omar Gadood, CC BY-SA 4.0Education in Somaliland: Schools, Universities and the Road AheadEducation in Somaliland was rebuilt almost from nothing after the civil war. Here is how the school system works, what the numbers show, the main universities, and the challenges still ahead.Read the storySomali university students in striped guntiino and garbasaar shawls dancing at a traditional culture eventPhoto: Faaris Adam, CC BY-SA 4.0Traditional Somali Clothing: What People Wear in SomalilandTraditional Somali clothing is light, colourful and made for the heat. Here is what men and women wear in Somaliland, from the macawiis sarong to the dirac, and how the styles keep changing.Read the storyThe minaret of a mosque in Hargeisa against an evening skyPhoto: Thekiwimaster, CC BY-SA 4.0Ramadan in Somaliland: Iftar, Eid and Everyday CustomsRamadan in Somaliland slows the day and fills the evening. Here is how the fasting month is kept, what goes on the table at sunset, how families celebrate the two Eids, and how visitors can join in respectfully.Read the storyA painted roadside shop selling khat in SomalilandPhoto: Clay Gilliland, CC BY-SA 2.0Khat in Somaliland: Culture, Economy, Health and the LawKhat in Somaliland is part of everyday life: a green leaf, trucked in from Ethiopia and chewed in long afternoon sessions. Here is what it is, why it matters to the economy, what health researchers say, and what visitors need to know.Read the storyCamels in Somaliland: the heads of dromedaries at the livestock market in HargeisaPhoto: Gerard van de Bruinhorst, ASC Leiden, CC BY-SA 4.0Camels in Somaliland: Milk, Poetry and the Wealth of the HerdCamels in Somaliland are far more than livestock. They feed families, fill poems and once set the price of peace. Here is how the camel shapes daily life and culture, from the milk jug to the market.Read the storyA street billboard advertising the 12th Hargeisa International Book Fair in 2019Photo: Gerard van de Bruinhorst, ASC Leiden, CC BY-SA 4.0Hargeisa International Book Fair: Somaliland's Week of BooksThe Hargeisa International Book Fair began in 2008 with about 200 visitors and a few dozen borrowed books. Today it fills a week each summer with writers, poets and readers. Here is its story, and how to plan a visit around it.Read the storyA group of men sharing afternoon tea around an outdoor tablePhoto: Dahir, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSomaliland Etiquette: A Friendly Guide to Local CustomsA warm greeting, a cup of spiced tea and a little modesty go a long way. Here is how to feel at home in Somaliland, and how to make your hosts feel the same.Read the storyA plate of spiced Somali rice topped with chicken, tomato and green chilliPhoto: Naimaisse, CC BY-SA 4.0Somaliland Food: What to Eat and Drink in HargeisaSpiced tea at sunrise, pancakes dripping with ghee, rice served with a banana on the side. A first taste of the Somaliland table.Read the storyEntrance of the Hargeysa Cultural Centre during the 2019 International Book FairPhoto: Gerard van de Bruinhorst, CC BY-SA 4.0When Words Were Mightier Than WeaponsIn Somaliland, poems have halted clan fighting, defied a dictator and set the terms of national debates. A short history of the region’s most powerful art form.Read the storyGuests at a rural wedding ceremony near HargeisaPhoto: Dahir, CC BY-SA 4.0Inside a Traditional Somaliland WeddingNegotiations between families, a contract sealed before witnesses, and a celebration that once lasted a week. How marriage works, and why it is about far more than two people.Read the story

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