Somalia is a country in the western part of Africa. The country’s coastline is the largest in the continent while majority of the country practises Islam. However, I found something very interesting regarding this country, the most popular name. The most popular girl’s name in the country is ‘Istanbul’.
Why does the name ‘Istanbul’ have such popularity in the country? The question is valid considering the geographical distance between Somalia and Turkey, the country where Istanbul is located. The reason behind this is the long historical and cultural relationship between the two countries.
Turkey’s Ottoman Empire and Somalian rulers have had very good relations in the past. Both the empires joined hands for the resistance against the Portuguese. Turkey and Somalia both are the founding members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Post the war in Somalia, Turkey’s PM Erdoğan was the first non-African head of a country to visit it. Turkish dramas are also a craze among the Somalians, especially among females. All of this has made both the countries very close culturally, which defies the geographical boundaries.
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