Zeila district is home to thousands of years of Somali culture and history. From a historical standpoint, the city of Zeila goes hand in hand with the stories of kings and queens, international trade, and Islamic architecture. Today, the ancient city — a port city for over four thousand years — is far from ancient, booming with life and hopes for potential futures. Once the capital of the Adal Kingdom, situated on the Gulf of Aden, Zeila stood as a pillar of multiculturalism, with explorers from all over the world citing its beauty and power. The city and district today hold treasure-fulls of history laid out in the ancient ruins showcasing the true potential of the society. One of those ruins is the Masjid al-Qiblatayn, one of the oldest mosques in the world, citing muslim arrival into Africa just after the Hijrah. With around 70,000 residents, the district is rich with salt deposits. Salt mining processes are in the works and on the horizon on a larger scale. Zeila is also graced with long beaches and one of the most impressive and diverse coral reefs on the coastline. Along with this vast coastline and open waters, the district is home to many off-shore islands such as the Sacadadiin Islands. This presents a unique opportunity for district development in terms of transcontinental trade and adventure tourism.