Trade Port of the Kilwa Sultanate

Timeline

1. c. 1200–1300Kilwa Kisiwani · Swahili CoastThe Kilwa Sultanate rose among the city-states of the Swahili Coast, relying on monsoon routes connecting the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf, and the Indian subcontinent, gradually controlling the export routes for gold and ivory from the southern African interior.
2. c. 1300–1450Kilwa Kisiwani · Indian Ocean trade sphereFrom the 14th to 15th centuries, Kilwa became one of the most important trading ports in East Africa; coral-stone buildings such as the Great Mosque and palaces were completed, and the port handled gold, slaves, and Indian Ocean ceramics, cloth, and glassware from the Zimbabwe Plateau.
3. c. 1498–1500Kilwa Kisiwani · Swahili CoastAfter da Gama opened the sea route around Africa, a Portuguese fleet captured Kilwa in 1505, ending its monopolistic trading position; the Swahili coastal urban system thus entered a new era dominated by European colonial powers.