Somalia before the war

Postcard of Mogadishu - maybe taken in the 60's?


Fiat of Mogadishu, delivery of 4 wagons to Public Works shop January 20, 1970



View of the City - (Maybe Mogadishu?)

This video shows photos and film clips of Somalia in the 60's and 70's.  Looks like they had very good infastructure, businesses, restaurants, industry, etc....  



Girl scouts - with Somlian AND European girls together.



Mogadishu City Hall - before and after


Mogadishu Stadium, built in 1978


Mogadishu Waterfront


Mogadishu 1977


Somali National University (Mogadishu). It was created in 1954. There were three campuses (1. Gaheyr - Mogadishu at KM6, 2. Digfeer - Medicine school near Digfeer Hospital in Mogadishu, and 3. Lafoole Teaching College - Lafoole). Initially the language of instruction was Italian, but later also included Somali and English. Siad Barre’s government (no bias here) really did play an important role in expanding the national university and higher education through the country in the 1970’s. Research centers were established throughout different cities with the goal of developing the national economy.
The fifteen departments of Somali National University were:
1. Department of Sharia Law
2. Department of Linguistics (Somali, Arabic, English, German and Italian)
3. Department of Livestock and Forest Management
4. Department of Education (Teaching College at Lafoole), 20 km west of Mogadishu
5. Department of Agriculture
6. Department of Geology and Mining
7. Department of Medicine (College of Medicine) near Digfeer Hospital
8. Department of Chemical/Industrial Engineering
9. Department of History
10. Department of Geography
11. Department of Science
12. Department of Mathematics
13. Department of Public Health
14. Department of Engineering
15. Department of Political Science


Schoolchildren


Mogadishu 1963


Old lighthouse for the Port of Mogadishu taken in 1988


Somali Nomads (in white) at a Market in 1969 in Xuddar(Hudar) Region, Somalia


Female employee - sometime in the 80's.


This is how Somali women use to dress back in the day. Effortless style. From their accessories to headscarf’s, shawls and not to mention gold. They had beautiful skin with no need for toxic makeup as well. You don’t see this anymore :(.
All people know of Somalis is current day Somalia, but there was a time when Somalis were really happy (well some) and life was good and people dressed well, had parties, went to the beach, worked hard. Somali women had a lot more freedom than any of the women in the Arab/Muslim world and beyond Africa as well. They could go to school, work, drive, wear whatever they wanted. They were not oppressed. They had culture. Somalia was very cosmopolitan once. Sad to see what it has become today.   (quote from a Somali)


Mogadishu


Air Somalia 


1970s Somali Women's Basketball Team

All photos and info are from http://vintagesomalia.tumblr.com/