Hamar Weyne ("Great Hamar") is the historic heart of Mogadishu, a seafaring and trading city for well over a thousand years. Its lanes of coral-stone houses with carved wooden doors recall the centuries when merchants from Arabia, Persia, India and China traded here.
The quarter is home to some of East Africa's oldest mosques, including the Fakr ad-Din Mosque, founded in the 13th century, and the Jama'a Xamar Weyne, the district's historic Friday mosque. Nearby are the old port and the fish market, and the waterfront that gave the city its wealth.
Visiting tips
- Walk the quarter in the morning, combined with the fish market at the old port.
- Mosques are active places of worship: dress modestly and ask before entering or photographing.
- A local guide brings the history of the houses and mosques to life.
Photos
Map
Last checked: 9 Nov 2026