Establishment
Hobyo's history began as a place for sailors and caravans to get fresh water, thus its name. It only became a town of importance when the Muslim pilgrims departing for Mecca on their Hajj and the sea captains who would take them there began favoring the town as a point of departure because of its fresh water. This sea and land traffic soon led to Hobyo becoming something of a commercial center. Opone, the once-great entrepot, which had been the center of commerce, began its decline into obscurity.
The increasing importance and rapid settlement of more southernly cities such as Mogadishu further boosted the prosperity of Hobyo, as more and more ships made their way down the Somali coast and stopped in Hobyo to trade and replenish their water.
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