Map by JON GONZALEZ

Calicut, Kerala, India

gonzajon018_1 — 2023-11-17 19:29:29 UTC

Calicut is a city of spice and textile trade on the Western Coast Of India, mostly famous for its cotton printed fabric known as Calico. This city is also known for being under control by many rules but finally became a Independent city-state in the 14th century.

Nara, Japan

gonzajon018_1 — 2023-11-17 20:03:59 UTC

Nara is a city that lies in South of Honshu, Japan, In the City of Nara, Crafts and Skills were passed on as merchants and travelers interacted with each other, one being the cloisonne decorations Nara had a role as a Buddhist centre before it rose to political and social prominence in the 8th century, During this, monuments and temples of Buddhist were constructed

Comparing Nara to Calicut the only similar thing was they handmade their own objects like Calicut making Calico and Nara making Cloisonne decorations, what's different is that Nara had no ruler.

Kilwa, Tanzania

gonzajon018_1 — 2023-11-19 20:51:06 UTC

Kilwa is a small island off the east coast of Africa, From 800 CE to the middle of the nineteenth century, Kilwa played an important role in the Indian Ocean trade network. Arab and Persian traders visited the Island, which eventually came under the control of a Sultan, the place eventually became mixture of customs and languages. Merchants in the town handled import and export trade in luxury products from India, China and other places. The merchants also exported goods from the African interior such as gold, copper, iron, coconuts, ivory and rhino horn, these were carried in along the Zambezi River some exampled like porcelain, jewels, glassware, and cloth were imported, Eventually the city-state became wealthy due to taxes and profits from trading.

Kilwa isn't popular just for their wealth and exported goods, they are also known for their wooden and stone houses and and cloth being one of their crafts in the city

Jeddah Saudi Arabia

gonzajon018_1 — 2023-11-19 21:45:34 UTC

Jeddah, which is also known as the bridge of the Red Sea is a major port and urban centre on the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula overlooking the Red Sea. Jeddah has always made the city a perfect trading port for cargo ships travelling the Red Sea, and the city’s traditional souks reflect a history of maritime trade and exchange. Eventually travellers on pilgrimage brought new cultures and goods with them. Which caued the port to grow into a trading post for rice and spices, cottons and silks, perfumes and precious metals, and also became a highly desirable city in the eyes of powers wishing to control trade through the Red Sea.

Comparing to Kilwa

Similar: Jeddah became popular because of their trading and exchange just like with Kilwa with their exported goods and wealth

Different: Jeddah only got popular because of trading and exchange, Kilwa became popular not only because of exported goods, but because of the creation of cloth.

Madagascar

gonzajon018_1 — 2023-11-19 23:09:00 UTC

Madagascar is located off the western coast of Africa being a small island. The people of Madagascar speak Malagasy and have multiple things in common with the Indonesians as well, including the use of blowpipes, wet and dry rice cultivation, stilt houses, and domesticated plow cattle. Several food crops originally from Indonesia, such as bananas, coconut, and sugar cane, are also found in Madagascar.

Baku, Azerbaijan

gonzajon018_1 — 2023-11-19 23:23:56 UTC

Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan, situated on the southern tip of the Abşeron Peninsula overlooking the Bay of Baku, along the western shore of the Caspian Sea. Baku lies on an ancient trade route from the Central Asian steppe towards Europe, being the main port that received trade from the east. Baku is mostly known for trading foreign goods, the region has extensive natural oil supplies, with reports of oil being sourced from open wells around Baku from as early as the Middle Ages. This oil was a very valuable commodity and was traded both west to Europe and east across the Sea to Asia. Archaeological evidence from Baku shows that the city was founded several centuries before the Common Era, and grew up in and was formed by this history of trade and exchange, playing a fundamental role in the reception and transmission of eastern goods.

Comparing to Madagascar

Similar: They made their own goods and traded them like with Madagascar making crops and Baku making Oil Supplies

Different: Baku mostly focused on trading Oil Supplies because it was very valuable to them.

Sofala, Mozambique

2023-11-20 13:02:58 UTC

Sofala was the port that lay far south as ships went to the East African Coast to trade. Sofala is mostly popular for being the oldest harbor in Southern Africa, because of the river there that flows into the Indian Ocean. Sofala drew its wealth and attraction as a seaport because of its association with Great Zimbabwe and was a source of gold, ivory and other products of the interior which were exchanged for goods desired inland. According to Travelers and Geographers, Sofala was a place where pearls were found, though they probably were harvested further south along the oyster banks.

Muscat, Oman

2023-11-20 13:31:19 UTC

Muscat is the modern day capital of Oman, Muscat has been a strategic centre of trade and exchange along the historic maritime Silk Roads since the 2nd century AD. Muscat was a stopping point for merchants when they were travelling, Muscat would be natural shelter, where sailors could safely escape bad weather and make repairs, Sailors also had plentiful supplies of fresh water. Muscat was also highly sought after as a conquest, as control of this stretch of the maritime Silk Roads ensured trade, wealth, security and power. As something of an oasis along these maritime routes, the city became a cosmopolitan hub of trade, with merchants from Africa, Asia and the Arab world meeting and exchanging ideas and cultures.

Comparing with Sofala

Similar: Both traded goods and were ports that drawed in travelers and sailors

Different: Muscat was more of a shelter for travelers to be safe from bad weather or repairs to their transport. As Sofala was more popular for just trading and wealth