Tadjoura

On the northern shore of the gulf that bears its name, Tadjoura became a port linking the Afar coast with the Ethiopian interior. It was the seat of an Afar sultan known as the Dardar and developed trading connections with Shewa and Aussa. Caravans brought goods down from the interior to meet the ships of the gulf.

In 1810 the Adoimara, an Afar group allied with the rulers of Shewa, defeated their rivals the Asa-yamara. Their victory opened the way for the port's growth and for closer connections with inland Ethiopia. The Dardar claimed authority over a wide area of Adoimara country, though his effective power was more limited. Tadjoura's trade came to be distinguished from that of nearby Zeila by its ties to Shewa and Aussa.