Zanzibar Indian Ocean Trade

Timeline

1. 1270–1279Port of Zanzibar · TanzaniaArab and Persian merchant ships used the monsoon winds to stop at Zanzibar for provisions, transshipping East African ivory, gold, and slaves from Kilwa, Sofala, and elsewhere, while importing cotton cloth, glass beads, and porcelain.
2. 1270–1279Swahili Coast · Swahili CoastCity-states such as the Kilwa Sultanate brought Zanzibar into a larger trade-political network during the 13th-century heyday, promoting the fusion of Islamic culture, Arabic writing, and local Bantu traditions, laying the foundation for Zanzibar's later commercial cities.