Siddiqis in the Horn of Africa Siddiqis in the Horn of Africa Siddiqi () is a Muslim family name, found in the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Sheikh is an additional title used occasionally by Siddiqis to signify noble Arab heritage. According to tradition, people having surname "Siddiqi" are offspring of Abu Bakr Siddique (), the first Khalifa (Caliph) and an early companion and friend of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. People claiming Siddiqi descent can be found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia. However, representatives in these countries are not referred to as Siddiqi, but are instead known by various local names.
Horn of Africa to wall paintings of the 7th century CE. Somali architecture includes the Fakr ad-Din Mosque, which was built in 1269 by the Fakr ad-Din, the first Sultan of the Sultanate of Mogadishu. Ethiopia is renowned for its ancient churches, such as at the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lalibela. The Horn has produced numerous indigenous writing systems. Among these is Ge'ez script ( ') (also known as "Ethiopic"), which has been written in for at least 2000 years. It is an abugida script that was originally developed to write the Ge'ez language. In speech communities that use it, such as