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With a population of about 1,5 million, Mogadishu is the largest city and chief seaport. The city has a rich 1,000-year history. Persian and Arab traders founded Mogadishu in the 10th century and intermarried with the local population.

One of the earliest Arab settlements on the East African coast, the city was a leading commercial port by the 13th century; it went into a period of decline by the 16th century. The port was under the control of the sultan of Zanzibar, and of the Italian government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. more…