Mogadishu: History, Former Names & Timeline

Port of the Horn of Africa and trading centre of a medieval sultanate, visited by Ibn Battuta and by Zheng He’s fleet.

Map showing Mogadishu in 1880 — Border map for 1880. See the world in 1880.

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<p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Interactive map: <a href="https://chronicamaps.com/en/city/mogadishu">Mogadishu: History, Former Names &amp; Timeline</a> · Chronica Maps</p>

Former names of Mogadishu

From	Name	Note
AD 900	Mogadishu

Timeline of Mogadishu

Year	Event
1331	Ibn Battuta visits Mogadishu
1417	Zheng He’s fleet calls at Mogadishu
1892	Italy leases Mogadishu
1960	Somalia becomes independent with Mogadishu as capital
1993	The Battle of Mogadishu

Who ruled Mogadishu

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

Period	State
500 BC–699	West African cereal farmers
700–799	Kushites
800–999	Bantu peoples
1000–1491	Islamic city-states
1492–1782	Unclaimed / no data
1783–1879	Zanzibar
1880–1913	Unclaimed / no data
1914–1919	British Somaliland
1920–1944	Italian Somaliland
1945–today	Somalia

Famous people of Mogadishu

Lived	Person
1371 – 1433	Zheng He	Admiral and explorer

Questions about Mogadishu

Which states have ruled Mogadishu?

On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Mogadishu lies within 8 different states: West African cereal farmers, Kushites, Bantu peoples, Islamic city-states, Zanzibar, British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, Somalia.

What are the key dates in the history of Mogadishu?

1331: Ibn Battuta visits Mogadishu. 1417: Zheng He’s fleet calls at Mogadishu. 1892: Italy leases Mogadishu. 1960: Somalia becomes independent with Mogadishu as capital. 1993: The Battle of Mogadishu.

Which famous people are connected with Mogadishu?

Zheng He (admiral and explorer, 1371 – 1433).

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.