Ibn Battuta sails along the east coast of
Africa pp. 110-112
I took ship at Aden, and after four days at
sea reached Zayla [Zeila, on the African coast],
the town of the Berberah, who are a negro people.
Their land is a desert extending for two months\'
journey from Zayla to Maqdashaw [Mogadishu].
Zayla is a large city with a great bazaar, but it
is the dirtiest, most abominable, and most
stinking town in the world. The reason for the
stench is the quantity of its fish and the blood
of the camels that they slaughter in the streets.
When we got there, we chose to spend the night at
sea, in spite of its extreme roughness, rather
than in the town, because of its filth.
The town of Mogadishu in Somalia
On leaving Zayla we sailed for fifteen days and
came to Maqdasha [Mogadishu], which is an
enormous town. Its inhabitants are merchants and
have many camels, of which they slaughter
hundreds every day [for food]. When a vessel
reaches the port, it is met by sumbuqs, which are
small boats, in each of which are a number of
young men, each carrying a covered dish
containing food. He presents this to one of the
merchants on the ship saying \"This is my
guest,\" and all the others do the same. Each
merchant on disembarking goes only to the house
of the young man who is his host, except those
who have made frequent journeys to the town and
know its people well; these live where they
please. The host then sells his goods for him and
buys for him, and if anyone buys anything from
him at too low a price, or sells to him in the
absence of his host, the sale is regarded by them
as invalid. This practice is of great advantage
to them.
We stayed there [in Mogadishu] three days, food
being brought to us three times a day, and on the
fourth, a Friday, the qadi and one of the wazirs
brought me a set of garments. We then went to the
mosque and prayed behind the [sultan\'s] screen.
When the Shaykh came out I greeted him and he
bade me welcome. He put on his sandals, ordering
the qadi and myself to do the same, and set out
for his palace on foot. All the other people
walked barefooted. Over his head were carried
four canopies of coloured silk, each surmounted
by a golden bird. After the palace ceremonies
were over, all those present saluted and retired
