The ruins of Gedi deep in the great Arabuko Sokoke forest in Kenya. Is a place of great mystery, an archaeological puzzle that continues to spark debate among historians. Built in the 14th century AD, then abandoned in the early 16th century. From the 13th or 14th to the 17th century, Gedi was a thriving community along the jungle coast of East Africa. Although no written record of this town exists, excavations between 1948 and 1958 revealed that residents traded with people from all over the world. Some of the finds included beads from Moorish Venice, coins and a Ming vase from China, an iron lamp from India, and scissors from Spain. The population was estimated at more than 2500 people. These artifacts are housed in the complex's museum which was opened in 2000. To this day, despite extensive research and exploration, no one really knows what happened to the town of Gedi and its people. This once great civilization was a powerful and complex Swahili settlement with a population of over 2500, built in the 13th century. The ruins of Gedi include many houses, mansions and elaborate tombs and cemeteries. These houses were complex for the time, with bathrooms with drains and hanging sinks to flush toilets. The city's streets were laid out at right angles and had drainage gutters. There are also wells that supplied water to the community. The material used to construct the buildings was made from coral reefs from the nearby ocean. Despite the size and complexity of this large settlement (at least 45 acres), it is never mentioned in any historical writing or local recorded history.
Via Gamal Gamal
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