Aluula

Alula Caluula علولة
Town
Aerial view of Aluula in the 1920s.
Alula Location in Somalia.
Coordinates: 11°58′0″N 50°45′0″E / 11.96667°N 50.75000°E / 11.96667; 50.75000Coordinates: 11°58′0″N 50°45′0″E / 11.96667°N 50.75000°E / 11.96667; 50.75000
Country	Somalia
Regional State	Puntland
District	Alula
Government
• Type	local government
• Mayor	Shire Abdi ismail Goonyacade
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Alula (Somali: Caluula, Arabic: علولة‎‎), also spelled Aluula, is a coastal town in the northeastern Bari province of Somalia. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it served as the main capital of the Majeerteen Sultanate.

Alula is derived from the Somali term "lul", which means pearl.

Alula is located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Cape Guardafui, at the extremity of the Horn of Africa. 20 nautical miles (23 miles) east of Alula lies the coastal town of Bereeda. 7 nautical miles (8 miles) west lies Ras Filuk, the likely Cape Elephant (Elephas) of Strabo and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Adjacent to Alula is a shallow lagoon surrounded by mangrove bushes, which appears to correspond with the "large laurel-grove called Acannae" also described by the Periplus.

On the coastal plain 20 km to Alula's east are ruins of an ancient monument in a platform style. The structure is formed by a rectangular drystone wall that is low in height; the space in between is filled with rubble and manually covered with small stones. Relatively large standing stones (menhirs) are also positioned on the edifice's corners. Near the platform are graves, which are outlined in stones. 24 m by 17 m in dimension, the structure is the largest of a string of ancient platform and enclosed platform monuments exclusive to far northeastern Somalia.

During the mid-1800s to early 1900s, Alula served as the main capital of the Majeerteen Sultanate (Migiurtinia). A castle built in the city for the kingdom's Boqor (King) Osman Mahamuud is one of a number of local remains from this era.