Kilwa Swahili City-State

Timeline

1. 900–1010Kilwa Island · TanzaniaAccording to tradition, descendants of Persian or Arab merchants established rule on the island; Kilwa gradually gained control of surrounding coastal trading posts, becoming an important node in the Swahili political-commercial network.
2. 1011–1020Port of Kilwa · Lindi RegionIn the early 11th century Kilwa grew wealthy through the trade of gold, ivory, and aromatics, began large-scale coral-stone construction, and extended its influence into the East African interior at places such as Sofala, becoming one of the wealthiest ports of the western Indian Ocean.
3. 1200–1400Great Mosque of Kilwa and the Husuni Kubwa palace ruins · TanzaniaAt its height Kilwa built grand palaces and mosques and minted its own coins for circulation; the city-state's architecture and material culture reached the peak of Swahili civilization.
4. 1500–1513Kilwa Kisiwani · TanzaniaAfter the Portuguese fleet occupied the island, Kilwa lost its trade advantages, its population dispersed, and the city-state gradually fell into ruin; today it is inscribed on the World Heritage List as an archaeological site.