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Who did the people of Aksum trade with?
Covering parts of what is now northern Ethiopia and Eritrea, Aksum was deeply involved in the trade network between India and the Mediterranean (Rome, later Byzantium), exporting ivory, tortoise shell, gold, and emeralds, and importing silk and spices.
What made Aksum ideal for trade?
Aksum had an ideal location with access to the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Nile River for exchanging goods from the Indian Ocean trade, Persia and Africa. What made Aksum’s location ideal for trade? It allowed access to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the African interior.
Who was the most important trading partner of Aksum?
Their trading partners included most of the major states in the known world: Egypt, South Arabia, the Middle East, India, and China. Perhaps their most important business partners were the Romans of the Byzantine Empire. Aksum was the first African country to make its own coins, in gold, silver, and bronze.
Why did Rome become such an important trading partner of Aksum?
Many Roman merchants lived in Adulis and in the capital city, Aksum. One of the chief commodities that linked the two powers was gold. The Aksumites had access to it from inland gold mines, and the Romans needed it to support the monetary system of their growing empire.
How did Aksum become an international trading power?
Aksum was perfectly located to become a major center of trade. Merchants would travel from central Africa, Persia, India, and Egypt bringing their goods to Aksum to trade. Aksum had access to several different trade routes including major waterways such as the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Nile River.
Who is Aksum and what is his contribution to the African literature explain further?
The Aksumites developed Africa’s only indigenous written script, Ge’ez. They traded with Egypt, the eastern Mediterranean and Arabia. Despite its power and reputation—it was described by a Persian writer as one of the four greatest powers in the world at the time—very little is known about Aksum.
Who is Aksum and what is his contributions to the African literature?
Why is Harar important in Islam?
Harar grew into a crossroads for commerce between Africa, India and the Middle East and was a gateway for the spread of Islam into the Horn of Africa. With its 110 mosques and 102 shrines, Harar is often referred to as the fourth-holiest city in Islam and known in Arabic as Madeenat-ul-Awliya (the City of Saints).
Where did the Kingdom of Aksum trade?
In the world of ancient international trade, few kingdoms had as much influence as Aksum. Aksum, located along the Red Sea near modern-day Ethiopia, dominated the trade between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean from roughly 100-940 CE.
What influenced the Aksum culture?
They were influenced by the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Arabs. Christianity, the primary religion after 325 CE, had a major influence on the culture as well. Aksum was one of the more advanced cultures of Ancient Africa. They developed a written language and minted their own coins.
What is the significance of the Aksum coin?
As a symbol of their wealth and power, Aksum was one of the first African kingdoms to start coining its own money. Since the Roman Empire, minting coins was an act demonstrating to the world that you had arrived at the peak of political and economic power.
Why was Aksum so important to the Byzantine Empire?
This gave Aksum a cultural connection to the Christian kingdoms that were growing more powerful across Europe, which soon included the Byzantine Empire. The desire to increase the power of Christianity helped secure Aksum as the go-to trade center for Christian kingdoms, furthering the status of the trade nation.