Merca (also Marka or Merka or Marca) is a port city in southern Somalia on the Indian Ocean. It is the main city in the Lower Shabele region and is located approximately 70 km (45 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
The town was established already in the 10th century by Arab or Persian merchants. The first Somalis arrived in the city in the 13th century and gained control of the city and the trade in the region till the 17th century.
In the late twentieth century, the town became known as a beach resort, although it has been severely damaged by the Somali Civil War.
Chapi