Ruins of Gedi

Ruins of Gedi

Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage

The Gedi city (also written as Gede) was a trade city on the East coast of Kenya between the 11th and 16th centuries. The double-walled city supported an estimated population of 2,500 people. The ruins show that the people were Muslims, with three mosques found in the city. Pillar tombs have been found in the design of medieval Swahili coastal settlements. Surviving stone houses indicate that elite families lived within the inner wall of the city. These houses are built with coral stones from the Indian Ocean, in contrast with the thatched-roofed mud buildings which were present between the outer and inner walls. Ruins of a Palace where the city's sheikh lived are also present. Several artefacts were found that shed light on the people who lived there, including shells used as currency for trade, beads, and pottery. Chinese and Asian ceramics were also found highlighting the importance of this town as an East African trade centre.

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SharonPisani

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16/05/2021

05/17/2021 03:10:50 pm

cm x cm x cm

current,-3.306903343608404,40.01783967018128;

Ruins of Gedi

TEXT

Archaeological

381

Late sixteenth to mid-seventeenth century

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