Which ports were important centers of trade in Somalia before European colonization?

Before European colonization, several coastal towns served as important centers of trade in what is now Somalia. In the northern region, the ancient ports of Berbera and Seylac were significant, though by the latter part of the 19th century, their prosperity had diminished and they were controlled by Somali nomads.12

Similarly, the southern coastal towns of Marca, Baraawe, and Mogadishu functioned as key trading hubs. By the 19th century, these towns had been penetrated by various Somali clans, with the Geledi clan exerting dominant political influence over the lower reaches of the Shabeelle River. These coastal centers maintained commercial and political links with the outside world, facilitating trade that eventually provided an opening for European infiltration. During this period, the northern coast was nominally under Turkish suzerainty, while the southern towns acknowledged the overlordship of the sultan of Zanzibar.12