3000 BC to 1284

Herders and the Red Sea

Rock engravings at Abourma, in the north, show wild animals and herders from thousands of years ago, when the land was greener. The coast was probably part of the region the ancient Egyptians called Punt, though its exact location is debated. Afar and Somali herders have long moved across these hot plains, and Islam reaches the coast early through trade with Arabia.