By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
Somalia, 6 December 2025 - — Known for its fertile landscape, vibrant cultural heritage, and close-knit community, Jowhar is rapidly positioning itself as one of Somalia’s promising tourism destinations.
Residents and local officials have joined efforts to highlight the city’s unique blend of natural beauty and artistic history. As a result, momentum has been growing in the recent past to promote Jowhar as a hub for recreation, culture, and social harmony.
Long celebrated as a cradle of Somali arts, Jowhar is home to some of the country’s most influential musicians and performers.
Local singer Ibrahim Ali Abdulle says the city’s artistic legacy remains a defining part of its identity.
“Most of the people of Jowhar are artists because this city is the birthplace of great national icons like Da’ud Ali Mashaf, Jidda Sheikh Bashir, Halimo Muse Milano, and Mahamed Adan Shamuri,” he says.
Abdulle adds that this is an indicator that Jowhar is indeed a city of art – one of the aspects the local administration is promoting in its effort to position Jowhar as a tourism destination.
“They ( deceased artists) may no longer be with us, but I am standing in their place, continuing the path they paved,” he adds.
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Beyond its artistic roots, Jowhar is also gaining recognition for its green spaces and recreational fields, which serve as gathering points for residents seeking rest and connection to with friends and relatives.
Local resident Sidiq Abdi Adow notes that the spaces represent the heart of community life.
“We always show people that recreational areas do not belong to one individual; they are loved and enjoyed by the whole community,” he adds.
He continues; “This green and peaceful land allows us to rest, especially on Fridays and other days when we are not working. We come with friends to celebrate, relax, and return home refreshed and happy.”
According to Mohamed Shuriye Nur, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Hirshabelle Presidency, Jowhar’s recreational culture is one of its strongest assets, one that reflects unity across all segments of society.
“There are various recreational areas in the city, and young people choose whichever suits them,” he says.
“On Fridays, everyone gathers here, including government workers, doctors, athletes, farmers, businesspeople, children, women, and elders. All the people of Jowhar come together without divisio.”
Shuriye adds that music remains central to these communal gatherings, with local artists performing soft, calming songs that contribute to the city’s warm atmosphere.
“This truly shows that Jowhar, the capital of Hirshabelle, is a city with strong social cohesion and interaction,” he notes. “It is a city whose people are closely united. It is genuinely a tourism city, and I sincerely hope that in the coming times, Hirshabelle will become one of the country’s top tourist destinations.”
As Somalia continues to rebuild its cultural and economic foundations, Jowhar’s growing reputation as a peaceful, artistic, and community-centered city may help place it firmly on the map as a future tourism hotspot.
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