Editing Mogadishu (section)

==Landmarks==

===Places of worship===
[[File:Mosislsol2.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Mosque of Islamic Solidarity]] is the largest masjid in the [[Horn of Africa]]]]
Among the [[places of worship]], they are predominantly [[Islam|Muslim]] mosques.

[[Arba'a Rukun Mosque]] is one of the oldest Islamic places of worship in the capital. It was built circa 667 (1268–9 AD) along with the [[Fakr ad-Din Mosque]]. Arba'a Rukun's [[mihrab]] contains an inscription dated from the same year, which commemorates the masjid's late founder, Khusra ibn Mubarak al-Shirazi (Khusrau ibn Muhammed).{{sfn|AARP|1975|p=10}}{{sfn|Garlake|1966|p=10}}

The [[Mosque of Islamic Solidarity]] was constructed in 1987 with financial support from the [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia|Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud Foundation]]. It is the main mosque in the city, and an iconic building in Somali society. With a capacity of up to 10,000 worshippers, it is the single largest masjid in the Horn region. In 2015, the federal authorities completed formal refurbishments on the mosque's infrastructure. The upgrades are part of a larger governmental renovation campaign aimed at all of the masjids in Mogadishu.<ref name="Dwpcotpotgjf">{{cite news |title=Weekly Press Conference on the Progress of the Government |url=http://www.dayniilecom.com/January2015/24January10.htm |access-date=30 January 2015 |agency=Dayniile |date=24 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150125010914/http://www.dayniilecom.com/January2015/24January10.htm |archive-date=25 January 2015}}</ref> To this end, the municipal authority is refurbishing the historic Central Mosque, situated downtown.<ref name="Noidpauim"/>

The [[Mogadishu Cathedral]] was built in 1928 by the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland. Known as the "Cattedrale di Mogadiscio", it was constructed in a [[Norman architecture|Norman]] [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic]] style, based on the [[Cefalù Cathedral]] in [[Cefalù]], [[Sicily]]. The church served as the traditional seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadiscio]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ulXZAAAAMAAJ |title=Consolata Missionaries in the World (1901-2001) |author=Giovanni Tebaldi |year=2001 |publisher=Paulines |isbn=9789966210234 |page=127 |access-date=10 January 2024 |archive-date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522143215/https://books.google.com/books?id=ulXZAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> It later incurred significant damage during the civil war. In April 2013, after a visit to the site to inspect its condition, the Diocese of Mogadiscio announced plans to refurbish the building.<ref name="Afasifsoh">{{cite web |title=AFRICA/SOMALIA – "I found signs of hope," said Bishop Bertin who has just returned from Mogadishu |url=http://www.fides.org/en/news/pdf/33502 |publisher=Agenzia Fides |access-date=24 January 2014 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222223349/http://www.fides.org/en/news/pdf/33502 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Palaces===
[[Villa Somalia]] is the [[official residence|official residential]] [[presidential palace|palace]] and principal workplace of the [[President of Somalia]], [[Hassan Sheikh Mohamud]]. It sits on high ground that overlooks the city on the Indian Ocean, with access to both the harbour and airport.<ref name="Rsnasvtio">{{cite book |title=Reports Service: Northeast Africa series, Volume 13, Issue 1 |year=1966 |publisher=American Universities Field Staff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SlUaAQAAIAAJ |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-date=25 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150125092118/http://www.google.com/books?id=SlUaAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Governor's Palace of Mogadishu]] was the seat of the [[List of colonial governors of Italian Somaliland|governor]] of Italian Somaliland, and then the administrator of the [[Trust Territory of Somalia]].

===Museums, libraries and theatres===
[[File:Old fort Mogadishu.jpg|400px|thumb|upright|Old fort used as Museum [[National Museum of Somalia]] ]]

The [[National Museum of Somalia]] was established after independence in 1960, when the old Garesa Museum was turned into a National Museum. The National Museum was later moved in 1985, renamed to the Garesa Museum, and converted to a regional museum.<ref name="unescorap1">{{cite news |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0007/000787/078773eo.pdf |title=Museum development and monuments conservation: Somalia |author=Crespo-Toral, H. |work=[[UNESCO]] |year=1988 |access-date=23 January 2014 |archive-date=12 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112064136/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0007/000787/078773eo.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0005/000519/051939eo.pdf |title=National Museum of Somalia, Mogadiscio: Roof Restoration Project |author=Lengyel, Oguz Janos |work=[[UNESCO]] |year=1982 |access-date=23 January 2014 |archive-date=12 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112064116/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0005/000519/051939eo.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> After shutting down, the National Museum later reopened. As of January 2014, it holds many culturally important artefacts, including old coins, bartering tools, traditional artwork, ancient weaponry and pottery items.<ref name="Ampoi">{{cite web |title=Mogadishu Points of interest |url=http://mogadishuairport.com/discover-mogadishu/mogadishu-attractions/ |publisher=Aden Adde International Airport |access-date=24 January 2014 |archive-date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116140257/http://mogadishuairport.com/discover-mogadishu/mogadishu-attractions/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[National Library of Somalia]] was established in 1975, and came under the responsibility of the [[Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education (Somalia)|Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education]]. In 1983, it held approximately 7,000 books, little in the way of historical and cultural archival material, and was open to the general public.<ref name="unescodev">{{cite web |url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0005/000564/056469eo.pdf |title=Development of services: National Library |publisher=[[UNESCO]] |access-date=23 January 2014 |archive-date=15 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015122124/http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0005/000564/056469eo.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> The National Library later closed down in the 1990s. In June 2013, the [[Heritage Institute for Policy Studies]] organized a shipment of 22,000 books from the United States to Somalia as part of an initiative to restock the library.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/07/19/somalias_national_library_rises_amid_the_ruins.html |first=Michelle |last=Shephard |title=Somalia's national library rises amid the ruins |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=19 July 2013 |access-date=23 January 2014 |archive-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202133210/http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/07/19/somalias_national_library_rises_amid_the_ruins.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In December of the year, the Somali authorities officially launched a major project to rebuild the National Library. With Zainab Hassan serving as Director, the $1 million federal government-funded initiative will see a new library complex built in the capital within six months. In preparation for the relaunch, 60,000 additional books from other Arab League states are expected to arrive.<ref name="Wstrnl">{{cite news |title=Somalia to rebuild national library |url=http://www.waamood.com/somalia-to-rebuild-national-library/ |access-date=24 January 2014 |newspaper=Waamood |date=22 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140127000747/http://www.waamood.com/somalia-to-rebuild-national-library/ |archive-date=27 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[National Theatre of Somalia]] opened in 1967 as an important cultural landmark in the national capital. It closed down after the start of the civil war in the early 1990s but reopened in March 2012 after reconstruction.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2012/09/somalia%E2%80%99s-national-theatre |title=Somalia's National Theatre: Still defiant |newspaper=The Economist |date=21 September 2012 |access-date=24 January 2014 |archive-date=3 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203201040/http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2012/09/somalia%E2%80%99s-national-theatre |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2013, the Somali federal government and its Chinese counterpart signed an official cooperation agreement in Mogadishu as part of a five-year national recovery plan in Somalia. The pact will see the Chinese authorities reconstruct the National Theatre of Somalia in addition to several other major infrastructural landmarks.<ref name="Sgcosca">{{cite news |title=Somalia: Gov't, China Officially Sign Cooperation Agreement |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201309100208.html |access-date=11 September 2013 |newspaper=Dalsan Radio |date=9 September 2013 |archive-date=22 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922192234/http://allafrica.com/stories/201309100208.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A large part of Somalia's rich history remains at risk of disappearance with the lack of proper storage and archival system. At Radio Mogadishu, for example, over 200,000 tapes of records are dumped in a storeroom. If these analogue tapes are not digitized, they could be damaged to the point when it is impossible to recover them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unsdg {{!}} Radio Mogadishu: Saving History for the Future |url=https://unsdg.un.org/latest/stories/radio-mogadishu-saving-history-future |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=unsdg.un.org |language=en}}</ref>

===Markets===
[[File:Bakaara Market.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bakaara Market]] in the heart of Mogadishu]]
[[Bakaara Market]] was created in late 1972 by the Barre administration. It served as an open market for the sale of goods and services, including produce and clothing. After the start of the civil war, the market was controlled by militant groups, who used it as a base for their operations. Following Mogadishu's pacification in 2011, renovations resumed at the market. Shops were rehabilitated, selling everything from fruit and garments to building materials.<ref name="Alcatssr">{{cite web |title=London conference aims to speed Somalia recovery |date=3 May 2013 |url=http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/video/london-conference-aims-speed-somalia-094747459.html |publisher=AFP |access-date=24 January 2014 |archive-date=20 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220012116/http://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/video/london-conference-aims-speed-somalia-094747459.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As in the rest of the city, Barkaara Market's real estate values have also risen considerably. {{As of|2013}}, the local Tabaarak firm was renting out a newly constructed warehouse at the market for $2,000 per month.<ref name="Wfribm">{{cite web |title=Warehouse for Rent in Bakaara Market |url=http://tabaarak.so/property/warehouse-for-rent-in-bakaara-market/ |publisher=Tabaarak |access-date=24 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204015000/http://tabaarak.so/property/warehouse-for-rent-in-bakaara-market/ |archive-date=4 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In February 2014, the Benadir administration began renovations at the [[Ansaloti Market]] in the Hamar Jajab district. It was one of the largest markets in the city before closing down operations in the early 1990s. In September 2014, the municipal authorities reopened the Ansaloti to the public, with officials supervising all parts of the market. According to the Benadir Political Affairs Vice Chairman Mohamed Adan "Anagel", the facility is now open for business and will compete with other regional markets.<ref name="Amimr">{{cite news |title=Ansaloti market in Mogadishu reopened |url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=3847 |access-date=2 October 2014 |agency=Goobjoog |date=13 September 2014 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006120051/http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=3847 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Institutes===
The [[Regional Somali Language Academy]] is an intergovernmental regulating body for the [[Somali language]] in the Horn region. In January 2015, President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced that the institute was slated to be finalized in conjunction with the governments of [[Djibouti]] and [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="Gspouslod">{{cite news |title=Somali President Orders the Use of Somali Language in the Official Documents |url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=9105 |access-date=30 January 2015 |agency=Goobjoog |date=21 January 2015 |archive-date=21 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121174302/http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=9105 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among the scheduled projects was the construction of a new headquarters for the academy in Mogadishu, in recognition of Somalia's traditional position as the centre for the development and promotion of the Somali language.<ref name="Spouosaoloc">{{cite news |title=Somalia: President orders use of Somali as official language of communication |url=http://raadgoob.com/?p=40872 |access-date=30 January 2015 |agency=Goobjoog |date=21 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122231839/http://raadgoob.com/?p=40872 |archive-date=22 January 2015}}</ref> In February 2015, the foundation stone for the new Regional Somali Language Academy was officially laid at an inauguration ceremony in the city.<ref name="Gpsdlnrsla">{{cite news |title=Presidents Of Somalia And Djibouti Lay New Regional Somali Language Academy |url=http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=10696 |access-date=22 February 2015 |agency=Goobjoog |date=22 February 2015 |archive-date=22 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222224455/http://goobjoog.com/english/?p=10696 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Hotels===
Mogadishu has a number of hotels, most of which were recently constructed. The city's many returning expatriates, investors and foreign workers are among these establishments' main customers. To meet the growing demand, hotel representatives have also begun participating in international industry conferences, such as the Africa Hotel Investment Forum.<ref name="Sirfismho">{{cite news |title=Somalia is 'ripe for investment', says Mogadishu hotel owner |url=http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/somalia-is-ripe-for-investment-says-mogadishu-hotel-owner/30684/ |access-date=24 January 2014 |newspaper=How We Made It In Africa |date=27 September 2013 |archive-date=14 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214082215/http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/somalia-is-ripe-for-investment-says-mogadishu-hotel-owner/30684/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Among the new hotels is the six-floor Jazeera Palace Hotel. It was built in 2010 and opened in 2012. Situated within 300m of the Aden Adde International Airport, it has a 70-room capacity with a 70% occupancy rate. The hotel expects to host over 1,000 visitors by 2015, for which it plans to construct a larger overall building and conference facilities.<ref name="Sirfismho"/> A new landslide hotel within the airport itself is also slated to be completed by the end of the year.<ref name="Atfos">{{cite web |title=Focus on Somalia |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/253914649/Somalia-Airport#scribd |publisher=Air Transport |access-date=30 January 2015 |archive-date=12 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212200949/https://www.scribd.com/doc/253914649/Somalia-Airport#scribd |url-status=live }}</ref>

Other hotels in the city include the Lafweyn Palace Hotel, Amira Castle Hotel, Sahafi Hotel, Hotel Nasa-Hablod, Oriental Hotel, Hotel Guuleed, Hotel Shamo, Peace Hotel, Aran Guest House, [[Hotel Muna|Muna Hotel]], Hotel Taleex, Hotel Towfiq, Benadir Hotel, Ambassador Hotel, Kuwait Plaza Hotel, Safari Hotel Diplomat, Dayax Hotel, Safari Guesthouse and Bin Ali Hotel.<ref name="Aaiamh">{{cite web |title=Mogadishu Hotels |url=http://mogadishuairport.com/discover-mogadishu/mhotels/ |publisher=Aden Adde International Airport |access-date=24 January 2014 |archive-date=16 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116144948/http://mogadishuairport.com/discover-mogadishu/mhotels/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Posh Hotel was mostly destroyed by a [[suicide bomber]] in June 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN1960K7-OZATP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619021413/http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN1960K7-OZATP |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 June 2017 |title=At least 19 killed in hotel attack in Somali capital |work=Reuters |quote=In the Wednesday evening attack, a car driven by a suicide bomber rammed into the Posh Hotel in south Mogadishu before gunmen rushed into Pizza House, an adjacent restaurant, and took 20 people hostage. [...] District police chief Abdi Bashir told Reuters Somali security forces took back control of the restaurant at midnight after the gunmen had held hostages inside for several hours. Five of the gunmen were killed, Bashir said. "We are in control of the hotel but it was mostly destroyed by the suicide bomber," he told Reuters by phone. |first=Duncan |last=Miriri |editor-first=Ralph |editor-last=Boulton |editor2-first=Pritha |editor2-last=Sarkar |date=15 June 2017}}</ref>