The Project

The ‘Archive for virtual documentation’ dedicated to Somalia in the context of the Horn of Africa, is the outcome of an original project designed by the Centre of Somali Studies (CIRSS) at the University of Roma Tre. It allows for the collection and internet consultation of:

1. All the documents and materials which have been collected in Somalia by the scholars and researchers who collaborated in the Somali Studies group, with the Somali National University and/or with the Academy of Science, Arts and Literature in Mogadishu.¹ Most of these documents belonging to scholars who collaborated in the Somali Studies group and other researchers have been offered by their owners (or their owners’ heirs) to be made available for the Somali Archive.
2. The outcome of several researches dedicated to Somalia since 1970, concerning different aspects of the Somali culture (its language, traditions, society, scientific background, etc.).
3. Teaching materials produced both in the period of the cooperation with the Somali National University in Mogadishu, and in Somali schools after the definition of Somali as the national language (1972).
   In a second phase following a request from Somali authorities . a new section has been introduced for Somali Laws Bulletins from 1950 to 1989:

The Archive includes now two ”Communities”:

• General Archive
• Archive of Somali Laws

The Somali Archive is hosted within the Sistema Bibliotecario di Ateneo (SBA) of the University Roma Tre, in Arcadia

¹ We refer to documents and publications which are not easily available in the Somali language and even no longer existing in Somalia, like textbooks; unpublished manuscripts, poems, collections of proverbs and tales, etc.; these documents also include recordings of the conversations held by the ‘Elder Members’ of the Academy of Art and Science in the 80’ dealing with folk and traditional culture; finally the Archive contains collections of traditional music, videos, posters and photographs.