The Swahili Coast: The Golden Age of East African City-States
When we think of ancient African civilizations, our minds often turn to the great empires of West Africa—Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. But on the opposite side of the continent, a different kind of civilization flourished: a network of independent city-states that stretched over 1,800 miles of coastline, from Mogadishu in the north to Kilwa in…