Tuesday, 21 January 2025

SO WHAT WAS AFRICA LIKE IN THE 14th CENTURY?

THE SWAHILI STONE TOWNS

On the Swahili coast there were around 50 stone towns from Mogadishu in Somalia all the way down to Sofala in Mozambique. 

They traded with Arabs, Persians, Chinese, Indians and the Kingdoms from the African interior. They exported gold, Ivory, salt and animal skins. They imported silk, porcelian, cotton and black pepper. 

Kilwa in Tanzania controlled the gold trade from the interior which came from Great Zimbabwe. 

Vasco De Gama arrived on the Swahili coast in the late 15th century. It was the Sultan of Malindi in Kenya who gave him a Pilot to travel to India as they didn’t know how to get there. 

In the early 1500s most of the key Swahili towns like Mombasa and Kilwa were attacked and plundered by the Portuguese and eventually the international trade of the Swahili declined. 


The Swahili stone towns will appear in the upcoming Graphic Novel the 14th Century Africa. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy when it’s released, post in the comment section or send us a message.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...