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All Somalia Hargeisa Oriental Hotel
AO Edited

Oriental Hotel

The oldest building in Hargeisa survived the 1988 bombings that destroyed some 90 percent of the city.

Hargeisa, Somalia

Added By
Shreyas Kumar
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The outer facade of the Oriental Hotel   shreyasus / Atlas Obscura User
The outer facade of the Oriental Hotel   shreyasus / Atlas Obscura User
The lobby of the Oriental Hotel   shreyasus / Atlas Obscura User
The rooftop above the lobby in the Oriental Hotel   shreyasus / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Sitting in the heart of Hargeisa, the Oriental Hotel is the oldest surviving and operating building in the capital of Somaliland.

In the late 1980s, Somaliland began a concerted attempt to break away from Somalia and the brutal dictatorial rule of Somali president Siad Barre. In response, the Somali Air Force began a large-scale aerial bombardment of Hargeisa, which was a stronghold of the rebel Somali National Movement. 

The indiscriminate bombardment destroyed up to 90 percent of the city and, combined with summary executions and ground attacks, resulted in the death of at least 50,000 people, mostly civilians. Somaliland declared itself an independent state in 1991. This was not internationally recognized, but Somaliland experienced relative stability in the years that followed, especially in comparison to the ongoing civil war in Somalia. Today, many countries at least recognize Somaliland as an autonomous region of Somalia.

Despite the bombardment of years past, the Oriental Hotel still stands. With its golden yellow facade and a transparent roof over the lobby, the hotel still operates at full capacity in the city center. A few minutes walk from the hotel is the War Memorial, where a plane used to bomb the city stands.

The lobby itself stands above the rest of those in hotels around the city, with a glass roof letting sunlight illuminate the center of the hotel for guests and visitors wanting a cup of tea.

Related Tags

War History History Architecture Hotels

Know Before You Go

This hotel is still open and operational, so you can reserve a room here or enjoy some Somali tea in the lobby. 

Community Contributors

Added By

shreyasus

Edited By

CrabSauce

  • CrabSauce

Published

August 15, 2024

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Sources
  • https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/valley-death-somalilands-forgotten-genocide
  • https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/oriental-hotel-hargeisa-somaliland/index.html
  • https://cja.org/where-we-work/somalia/
Oriental Hotel
Arwada Road
Hargeisa
Somalia
9.562138, 44.067891
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hargeisa War Memorial

Hargeisa, Somalia

miles away

Hargeysa Cultural Center's Tape Wall

Hargeisa, Somalia

miles away

Guluf Airline Restaurant & Hotel

Hargeisa, Somalia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hargeisa

Hargeisa

Somalia

Places 4

Nearby Places

Hargeisa War Memorial

Hargeisa, Somalia

miles away

Hargeysa Cultural Center's Tape Wall

Hargeisa, Somalia

miles away

Guluf Airline Restaurant & Hotel

Hargeisa, Somalia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hargeisa

Hargeisa

Somalia

Places 4

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