Latest / The Songhai Empire: Africa's Powerful Forgotten Kingdom — Fexingo History
Gao: The Lost Capital of the Songhai Empire
This episode takes you to the banks of the Niger River to explore Gao, the heart of the Songhai Empire. From its origins as a small trading port to its golden age under Askia Muhammad, we uncover the city's remarkable monuments—most notably the towering mud-brick Tomb of Askia Muhammad, a UNESCO World Heritage site built after his legendary Hajj. Learn how the city's architecture reflected Islamic influences and Songhai power, and how the Niger River fueled its economy. But Gao's glory didn't last: after the Saadian invasion of 1591, the capital was abandoned and fell into…
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