City Detail

Hargeisa (hər-GAY-sa; Somali: Hargeysa, Arabic: هرجيسا) is the capital and largest city of Somaliland. It is located in the Maroodi Jeex region of the Horn of Africa. It succeeded Berbera as the capital of the British Somaliland Protectorate in 1941. Hargeisa was the second largest city in Somalia after the capital Mogadishu, and also served as the second capital of the Isaaq Sultanate during the mid-to-late 19th century. Hargeisa was founded as a watering and trading stop between the coast and the interior and later became an Islamic Tariqa settlement under the leadership of Sheikh Madar and his mullahs. In 1960, the protectorate gained independence and united as scheduled days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic on July 1.Hargeisa is situated in a valley in the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands, and sits at an elevation of 1,334 m (4,377 ft).