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Merca ( Somali '''Marka''', older spellings include '''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 in the 7th Century by the Bimal Clan . The first Somalis arrived in the city in the 6th Century and gained control of the city and the trade in the region till the 21st Century .
This Port City was a military base by the late Sheikh Hassan Barsame against European invaders inflicting devastating defeats to the European colonialists.

In the late 20th Century , the town became known as a Beach Resort , although it has been severely damaged during the Somali Civil War .