Culture of Djibouti

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The culture of the Republic of Djibouti is diverse, due to the nation's Red Sea location at a crossroads of trade and commerce.

Djiboutian population is divided into several human components: the

Hamitic. They were called "Hamites Orientals" to distinguish them from these other Hamites that are Egyptians and Berbers. An important Arab community of Yemeni origin, is also based in Djibouti
.

The

pastoralists
. However, the population tends to settle because today more than half of its citizens live in the capital and the towns and villages of the interior. This land, traditional crossing point between Egypt, Sudan and Saudi crossroads of nations between Africa and Asia, has likely undergone mixing of populations who have played an important role in the fate of the original peoples of the Djibouti nation. Poetry traditionally recited in the villages by special readers called gabaye was a way of recording the community's history and customs, as well as current events.

Ethnic groups

Issa woman in nomadic attire.
An Afar
man in nomadic attire.

Djibouti is a

Italians). Most local residents are urban dwellers; the remainder are pastoralists.[1]

Arabs

Djiboutians have had expansive relations with the

Arabian peninsula.[5] Djibouti has also hosted Arab refugees, primarily from Yemen.[6]

Somali

Somalis have traditionally been organized into nomadic pastoral clans, loose empires, sultanates and city-states.[7]

Their clan groupings are important

social units, wherein membership plays a central part in Somali culture. Clans are patrilineal and are often divided into sub-clans, sometimes with many sub-divisions. Somali society is traditionally ethnically endogamous. So as to extend ties of alliance, marriage is often to another ethnic Somali from a different clan.[8]

Afar

Afar society has historically been organized into independent kingdoms, each ruled by its own Sultan.[9] A portion of the community also consists of pastoralists, raising goats, sheep, and cattle in the desert.[9]

Socially, they are organized into clan families and two main classes: the asaimara ('reds') who are the dominant class politically, and the adoimara ('whites') who are a working class and are found in the Mabla Mountains.[10]

In addition, the Afar are reputed for their martial prowess. Men traditionally sport the jile, a famous curved knife. They also have an extensive repertoire of battle songs.[9]

Languages

Djiboutian women dressed in traditional Afar and Issa tribal attire
Main article: Languages of Djibouti

Djibouti is a

Amharic (1,400 speakers), and Greek (1,000 speakers).[11]

Religion

Main articles: Islam in Djibouti and Christianity in Djibouti
Religion in Djibouti
religion percent
Islam
 
 94%
Christianity
 
 6%

With few exceptions,

Sunni branch of Islam.[1] The constitution of Djibouti likewise defines Islam as the religion of the Republic of Djibouti. Islam entered the region very early on, as a group of persecuted Muslims had, at Prophet Muhummad's urging, sought refuge across the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa. Islam may thus have been introduced to the area well before the faith even took root in its place of origin.[12][13] Christianity
is a minority religion in Djibouti, with around 4,767 adherents.

Attire

Issa Somali man and woman in traditional attire (1844)

When not dressed in western clothing such as

t-shirts, men typically wear the macawiis, which is a sarong-like garment worn around the waist. Among nomads, many wear a loosely wrapped white cotton robe called a tobe that goes down to about the knee, with the end thrown over the shoulder (much like a Roman toga).[citation needed
]

Women typically wear the dirac, which is a long, light, diaphanous voile dress made of cotton or polyester that is worn over a full-length half-slip and a bra. Married women tend to sport head-scarves referred to as shash, and also often cover their upper body with a shawl known as garbasaar. Unmarried or young women, however, do not always cover their heads. Traditional Arabian garb such as the male jellabiya (jellabiyaad in Somali) and the female jilbāb is also commonly worn. For some occasions such as festivals, women may adorn themselves with specialized jewelry and head-dresses similar to those worn by the Berber tribes of the Maghreb.[citation needed]

Music

Main article: Music of Djibouti

Djibouti's various ethnic groups each have their own different styles of music and accompanying dances. Common instruments used by many of the communities are the drum,

Arabia, but it is ultimately recognizable by its own unique tunes and styles. Somali songs are usually the product of collaboration between lyricists (midho), songwriters (lahan) and singers ('odka or "voice").[14]

Sport

See also: Football in Djibouti

Football is the most popular sport in Djibouti. The Djibouti national football team, nicknamed the Riverains de la Mer Rouge ("Shoremen of the Red Sea"), plays various international squads both locally and abroad. It is controlled by the Djiboutian Football Federation, and is a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA). There are also hundreds of football clubs that compete at the domestic level.[citation needed]

African Basketball Championship at either senior or junior level, men or women.[citation needed
]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Djibouti. CIA World Factbook
  2. ^ "Djibouti". The World Factbook. CIA. February 5, 2013.
  3. ^ 1985 International Symposium on Geothermal Energy, Volume 9, Part 1, p 175
  4. ^ A Political Chronology of Africa - Page 131, David Lea, Annamarie Rowe - 2001
  5. ^ African Business - Issues 338-348 - Page 376, 2008
  6. ^ "Kingdom donates SR50m for Yemeni refugees in Djibouti". 15 October 2015.
  7. ^ Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, Cultures and Customs of Somalia, (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 138.
  8. ^ Ioan M. Lewis, Blood and Bone: The Call of Kinship in Somali Society, (Red Sea Press: 1994), p.51
  9. ^ a b c Matt Phillips, Jean-Bernard Carillet, Lonely Planet Ethiopia and Eritrea, (Lonely Planet: 2006), p.301.
  10. ISBN 978-3-447-04746-3
    . Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  11. ^ Ethnologue, "Languages of Djibouti"
  12. ISBN 0-14-014423-4
  13. ^ Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, Culture and Customs of Somalia, (Greenwood Press: 2001), p.1
  14. ^ Diriye, pp.170-171

External links

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