Kilwa Sultanate at Commercial Peak

1404

The Swahili trading city of Kilwa Kisiwani on the East African coast dominated Indian Ocean commerce in gold, ivory, and enslaved people. Its sultan minted copper coins that circulated across the western Indian Ocean, built the Great Mosque with coral stone vaults, and hosted merchants from Gujarat, Hormuz, and Zheng He's approaching treasure fleets. It was arguably the wealthiest city in sub-Saharan Africa.