Gabiley and Dhagah-Marodi

Gabiley and Dhagah-Marodi (Dhagax Maroodi) – Straddling the Borama road about 50km west of Hargeisa, the ancient settlement of Gabiley is – rather astonishingly – the fifth-largest town in Somaliland, with a population estimated at 80,000 in 2015.

Despite its rather arid and dustily nondescript façade, Gabiley is well known within Somaliland as a center of citrus cultivation (oranges sold on the roadside here cost half what they would in the capital).

It is also the birthplace of Mo Farah, the most successful-ever British long-distance runner, who grew up in Djibouti and the UK, but still has close family living in Gabiley and paid for the construction of its football stadium.

Gabiley stands within walking distance of Dhagax Marodi, the most accessible rock art site in Somaliland. Despite its name (Marodi means ‘elephant’), the site comprises a single engraving of a cow, perhaps 1.5m tall, on a flat rock face situated less than  3km  north of the main road. 

A  photograph taken in the  1990s  shows that prehistoric engraving was in pristine condition back then, but unfortunately, it has since been defaced by graffiti etched in 2000 and again in 2008 (yes, the dolts responsible thoughtfully dated their handiwork) and is now almost unrecognizable.

Gabiley and Dhagax Marodi can be visited easily in a private car in conjunction with Dhagax Khoure, or on foot by hopping off a minibus between Hargeisa and Tog Wajaale and then walking the last 3km to the rock art site (assuming that the local police allow it). To get to Dhagax Marodi from the main road, turn north at the main junction in Gabiley (about 50m west of the Asker Hotel) and follow this road for 1km, passing the police station to your left en route, until you reach the school. The road forks in front of the school; stick to the right and keep going for another 1km, and then turn right onto the 200m footpath that leads to the engraved rock.

You’d be unlikely to stay in Gabiley out of choice, but it has a few basic hotels. There are a couple of decent local eateries on the main road, and minibusses to or from Hargeisa, Borama, and Tog Wajaale leave from opposite the police station.

Reference:

Somaliland Travel Guide for Bradt Guides

By: Philip Briggs