Swahili: Did you mean...?

The ruins of the Great Mosque of Kilwa on the Swahili Coast (modern Tanzania). Constructed during the reign of al Hasan ibn Suleiman (r. 1320-1333 CE).

The ruins of the Great House, Kilwa on the Swahili Coast (modern Tanzania). Likely constructed during the reign of al Hasan ibn Suleiman (r. 1320-1333 CE).

An illustration of the trading city-state of Kilwa on the Swahili Coast (modern Tanzania) which flourished between the 12th and 15th century CE. (From Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg's 'atlas Civitates orbis terrarum', vol. I, 1572 CE)

Fort Jesus, Mombasa, Kenya. The fort was built in 1593 when Mombasa and other parts of the Swahili Coast were part of the Portuguese Empire.

The Deutsches Afrika Korps (DAK) was an elite German armoured unit that fought in North Africa during the Second World War (1939-45). The Korps was initially led by Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) before he was promoted to lead a larger force of...

Cochin, located on the southwest coast of India, was a Portuguese colony from 1503 to 1663. Known to the Portuguese as Cochim, it was one of several important cities on India’s Malabar Coast and a great trade centre for spices like pepper...

Admiral Zheng He (aka Cheng Ho, c. 1371-1433 CE) was a Chinese Muslim eunuch explorer who was sent by the Ming dynasty emperor Yongle (r. 1403-1424 CE) on seven diplomatic missions to increase trade and secure tribute from foreign powers...

The Battle of Gazala in Libya in May-June 1942 was a decisive victory for German and Italian forces led by General Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) against British, Commonwealth, and Free French forces during the Western Desert Campaigns (Jun 1940...

A map indicating the major ancient and medieval states in sub-Saharan Africa. Areas and dates relate to a state at its peak. In addition, shaded areas are approximate indicators only. For the majority of the states, their precise borders...

A traditional dhow sailing vessel, used by medieval Arab traders in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.