National Archives & National Library of Djibouti is the main museum in the city. For much of its recent history, the town was characterized by roadside markets and small shops that sold a wide variety of goods. The culture of Djibouti City has evolved under the influence of many different peoples and civilizations, including Somali, Afar, Yemeni and French traditions. The capital is home to a large number of mosques in various architectural styles, which date from different historical periods. Five times a day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of the city's many masjids. Additionally, the local opera is a traditional form of musical theater well-known throughout the nation. The Djiboutian attire is typical of several countries in the Horn of Africa.

From 1862 until 1894, the land to the north of the Gulf of Tadjoura was called Obock and was ruled by Somali and Afar Sultans, local authorities with whom France signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 to first gain a foothold in the region. The exchange of Franco-British notes of February 2 and 9, 1888 fixes the territorial limit between the colonies of the two countries. It leaves explicitly under French authority the southern coasts of the Gulf of Tadjoura, including a peninsula composed of insubmersible plateaux, Ras Djiboutil. It is then that this point begins to be used as departure for caravans towards Harar.

When someday comes you'll need to get in.

When someday comes you'll need to be able to get around.