Gondershe, also known as Gandershe (, ; or El Torreh Al-Toureh , ; Swahili: Gonderashe ), is an archaeological site on the Somali Sea. It was at one point one of the most important districts of the Geledi Sultanate. Residents were largely from the Gendershe clan in the Lower Shabelle region of Southwest State of Somalia.Jönsson, Sune. Archaeological Research Co-operation between Somalia and Sweden: Report on a Three-Month Visit to Somalia in 1982. No. 1. Central board of national antiquities, 1983. Gondershe today is noted for its citadel and other various historical structures.
Overview
Gondershe is situated about 35 kilometers northeast of Merca and about 30 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu.Universität Frankfurt am Main. Frobenius-Institut, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kulturmorphologie, Frobenius Gesellschaft, Paideuma: Mitteilungen zur Kulturkunde, Volumes 26-28, (F. Steiner: 1980), p.202.
It is an ancient stone city built on a coastal promontory. The town's ruins consist of typical Somali architecture, such as coral stone houses, fortifications, tombs and mosques. The town contains a shrine to Aw Usman Garweeyne (Garweyne).
The town is said to date from the medieval Ajuran period, when it became a center of trade that handled smaller vessels sailing from India, Arabia, Persia and the Far East. This is supported by early maps, and by an initial archaeological survey.
Gondershe later evolved into a popular tourist attraction during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The film La Conchiglia (1992) by the award-winning Somali filmmaker Abdulkadir Ahmed Said was also shot here, and features the town's local residents.
See also Hannassa Essina Sarapion
Notes and references