El Ayo

El Ayo (, ), also known as El Ayum, is a coastal town in the eastern Sanaag region of Somaliland, near the border with Somalia.
History.
El Ayo is one of a series of ancient settlements in Somaliland. About one mile from the town are the ruins of an old city, which are held to have belonged to an earlier civilization which resided in the region. Between El Ayo and Las Khorey lies Karinhegane, the site of numerous cave paintings of real and mythical animals. Each painting has an inscription below it, which collectively have been estimated to be around 2,500 years old. Around 25 miles from Las Khorey lies Gelweita, another key rock art site. Karinhegane's rock art is in the same distinctive style as the Laas Geel cave paintings.
Additionally, a number of small- to medium-sized cairns are especially concentrated on the plain that lies between the coast adjacent to El Ayo and an inland ridge around 2 km in length. Eastern Somaliland in general is home to numerous such archaeological sites, with similar edifices found at Haylan, Qa’ableh, Qombo'ul and Maydh. However, many of these old structures have yet to be properly explored, a process which would help shed further light on local history and facilitate their preservation for posterity.
El Ayo was also an early local hub of Islam, with the religion spreading through maritime enterprise.