Ali Sabieh

Ali Sabieh lies in an enclosed valley in southern Djibouti, where granitic mountains surround the site and the ground stands about 756 metres above sea level. The higher elevation moderates the heat compared with the coast, while the hot semi-arid climate still brings long, dry summers. To the east, grassland savannah attracts gazelles, jackals, caracals, baboons and many birds. These mountains and pastures give the location a basin setting at once sheltered and exposed to scarce rainfall.

The valley lies in the wider meeting zone of Somali Issa and Afar societies, connected by routes toward the Ethiopian highlands, the Red Sea coast and the Gulf of Aden. Wells, grazing and seasonal movement guided passage through this dry country. Muslim traders and teachers had reached the Horn of Africa long before European ships rounded it, and Islam became a lasting part of local identity.

The medieval Muslim sultanate of Ifat, whose traders used the port of Zeila, drew on the same belt of pasture and caravan track between the highlands and the coast. The location's identity lies in the mountain basin and the pastoral routes of camel, sheep and goat herders that connected coast and highlands.

The later city of Djibouti City lies here.