Siddiqis in the Horn of Africa Siddiqis in Eastern Ethiopia are usually called Qallu. While some of them still speak Arabic, most of them speak the regional Oromo, Harari or Somali languages, tongues which, like Arabic, also belong to the Afro-Asiatic language family. In Somalia, Siddiqis are commonly known as Sheekhaal or Aw-Qutub. Notable Siddiqi families in the Horn region include: 1. Kurtu family (in Harar, Deder and Djibouti) 2. Aw Barre family 3. Aw Ismael family 4. Qallu-Diinii family 5. Khabir Hassan family (in Gelemso) 6. Aw Samirren family 7. Aw Khalaf family 8. Aw Umar Ziad family 9. Abogne/Abun (the Khalaf and Kurtu families;
Horn of Africa Bantu groups also speak variants of the Niger-Congo Swahili and Mushunguli languages. The countries of the Horn of Africa have been the birthplace of many ancient, as well as modern, cultural achievements in several fields including agriculture, architecture, art, cuisine, education, literature, music, technology and theology. Ethiopian agriculture established the earliest known use of the seed grass teff ("Poa abyssinica") between 4000–1000 BCE. Teff is used to make the flatbread injera/taita. Coffee also originated in Ethiopia and has since spread to become a worldwide beverage. Ethiopian art is renowned for the ancient tradition of Ethiopian Orthodox Christian iconography stretching back