As with several nearby towns such as
Amud, numerous archaeological finds have been discovered in the Borama area that point to an eventful past. The latter include ancient remains of
tombs,
houses and
mosques, in addition to sherds of Oriental wares, particularly
Chinese porcelain. The artefacts and structures date from various historical periods, ranging from the 12th through to the 18th centuries. Most, however, are from the 15th and 16th centuries, a time of great commercial activity in the region that is associated with the medieval
Adal Sultanate. Excavations in the late 1800s and early 1900s at over fourteen sites in the vicinity of Borama unearthed, among other things, coins identified as having been derived from
Kait Bey, the eighteenth
Burji Mamluk Sultan of
Egypt. Most of these finds were sent to the
British Museum for preservation shortly after their discovery. During the Middle Ages, the region surrounding the Borama area was ruled by the
Adal Sultanate. In the first half of the 20th century, Borama formed a part of the
British Somaliland protectorate. The modern town of Borama was established in 1921 by
Ughaz 'Elmi Warfa, Ughaz of the
Gadabuursi, under the directive of the British, who laid its foundations. It was subsequently designated as a district in 1925. The alphabet is also generally known as the
Gadabuursi script. In the post-
independence period, Borama was administered as part of the official
Awdal administrative region of Somalia. During the
Ogaden War in the late 1970s, Borama was one of several northern cities aerially bombarded by Ethiopian forces who were aligned with the
Somali National Movement. ==Geography==