Iskushuban

Iskushuban sits in a valley in the Bari highlands of northeastern Somalia where enough water reaches the surface to support date palms and gardens in otherwise very dry country. The hills around it hold Boswellia trees, the source of frankincense, tapped and traded from here for millennia, and the resin still goes out through Bosaso. Old tombs and settlement remains lie in the surrounding country, among them the ruins of a sizeable walled town in the Arie valley towards Qardho, and the seasonal waterfalls here are counted the second largest in the country. Frankincense from this region was traded to Egypt and the Mediterranean in antiquity, and the classical land of Punt is often placed somewhere along this coast. The trees are tapped by cutting the bark and letting the resin harden before collection.

Highlights

• The palm gardens - the cultivation the valley's water supports.
• The frankincense trees - the Boswellia stands in the surrounding hills.
• The resin trade - the tapping and trading still worked from here.
• The dry highlands - the country the valley cuts through.

When to go

October to April is the cooler season. Frankincense tapping runs through the year with seasonal peaks. Summer heat is severe.

Practical notes

The road from Bosaso is long and rough. There is no visitor infrastructure. Travel requires local arrangement well in advance.

Nearby

Bosaso is northwest, and Cape Guardafui is east.

Key facts