 As Somalia 's capital city , many important national institutions are based in Mogadishu . It is the seat of the Federal Government of Somalia established in August 2012 , with the Somalia Federal Parliament serving as the government 's legislative branch . Yusuf Hussein <unk> has been the Mayor of Mogadishu since October 2015 . Villa Somalia is the official residential palace and principal workplace of the President of Somalia , Hassan Sheikh Mohamud . In May 2012 , the First Somali Bank was established in the capital , which organized Mogadishu 's first ever Technology , Entertainment , Design ( TEDx ) conference . The establishment of a local construction yard has also galvanized the city 's real @-@ estate sector . Arba 'a Rukun Mosque is one of the oldest Islamic places of worship in the capital , built circa 667 ( 1268 / 9 AD ) . The Mosque of Islamic <unk> in Mogadishu is the largest masjid in the Horn region . Mogadishu Cathedral was built in 1928 by the colonial authorities in Italian Somaliland in a Norman Gothic style , and served as the traditional seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mogadiscio . The National Museum of Somalia is based in Mogadishu and holds many culturally important artefacts . The National Library of Somalia is undergoing a $ 1 million Somali federal government funded renovation , including a new library complex . 
