Mosylon

Mosylon (Ancient Greek: Μοσυλλόν and Μόσυλον) ,also known as Mosullon, Mosul, and Mosyllum/Mossylite, was a major Proto-Somali emporium along the northern Somali coast (the Gulf of Aden). Mosylon served as a prominent seaport and trading center of ancient Ethiopia (the Greco-Roman term for regions south of Egypt, not to be confused with modern Ethiopia), alongside Adulis, Mundus, Opone, and Avalites. The exact location of the ancient port has been a matter of dispute among historians and archaeologists. Earlier scholars believed it to have been located near the site that later became the city of Bosaso. Excavations conducted in the late 19th century by the French explorer Georges Révoil at the site of Salweyn suggested that this location could be identified with Mosylon. Mosylon appeared in Greco-Roman geography during Classical Antiquity and was mentioned by several authors, including Dioscorides, Pliny, Ptolemy, Galen, Gaius Julius Solinus, Marcian of Heraclea, Stephanus of Byzantium, and in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. According to the Periplus, Mosylon formed part of the so-called far-side port trade hubs of northern Somalia, which were situated in the Bari region of present-day Puntland. They were described as “far side” ports because they were located beyond the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Mosylon was an important hub of commerce in the ancient world for many centuries and was well known for its cinnamon, which bore its name (as Mosyllitic) according to local usage. This cinnamon became famous in the Greco-Roman world as a luxury commodity. Due to its high quality and rarity in Ancient Rome, imported cinnamon was often deposited in the Roman Royal Treasury. During Classical to Late Antiquity, Mosylon played a dominant role in the spice and incense trade, with large ships docking at its port to export spices, particularly cinnamon. The inhabitants of Mosylon were known as the Mosylli, who handled not only spices but also other goods such as cassia, fragrant gums, tortoise shell, aromatics, frankincense, ivory, myrrh, silverware, ironware, and precious stones, alongside a special type of incense called mokrotu. The port’s main imports included silver plates, small quantities of iron, and glass. Politically, Mosylon operated independently and was ruled by its own local chief like the other anciet Somali city state.