Twentieth-century built urban heritage potential of the Somali region, its management, challenges and opportunities: the case of Jigjiga, Qebridahar and Erer cities

Abstract

PurposeThe research works concerned with heritage management, in general, are available domestically and globally, but they are not as abundant as required when it comes to the management of twentieth-century urban heritages, particularly the Somali region. Thus, this research is assumed as innovative and evocative of additional research initiatives in the management of twentieth-century urban heritages, and it can assure the development of sustainable heritage tourism in the research area.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a cross-sectional survey as the research design, and qualitative data of both primary and secondary types were collected for this research. Therefore, purposively selected knowledgeable individuals in heritages of the study area were involved in in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and field surveys of twentieth-century built urban heritage sites were conducted in Jigjiga, Erer and Qebridahar cities. Generally, observation, face-to-face interview interviews and focused group discussions were used to collect primary data, and document analysis was also used to collect secondary data.FindingsThe findings of the study revealed that the Somali region is rich in twentieth-century urban built heritage. The imperial palace, administrative centers, mosques, shrines, churches, military camps, Italian-built architecture sites, patriot centers, statues of local heroes, older bus stations and city centers are among the twentieth-century built heritages in the region. However, most of these heritages were not recognized. Consequently; conservation, promotion and use of the twentieth-century urban heritages for sustainable development are given little attention despite that there are infrastructural facilities for tourists in the region and the proximity of the region to the heritage tourism corridors of Harar and Dire Dawa.Research limitations/implicationsAwareness should be made to the concerned institutions and societies about socio-economic and cultural values of the twentieth-century urban built heritage.Practical implicationsThe Federal Culture and Tourism Ministry and Culture and Tourism Bureau of the Somali region should cooperatively develop a short and long-term plan of action to manage the twentieth-century built urban heritage of the region and use them for sustainable development through the participation of the society.Social implicationsThe local institutions, communities and individuals should be aware of and involved in the conservation, promotion and use of the twentieth-century built urban heritages for sustainable social, cultural and economic development.Originality/valueAs far as the researchers' knowledge is concerned, there is no research of a similar type in which the setting and results are closer to this. Therefore, this research is original and is based on extensive primary data gathered from field surveys.