Journey Along the East African Coast - Overview

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Traveling from Persia, I have decided to embark on a journey from my home of Baghdad to visit the various settlements on the coast of Africa in search of economic opportunity and to invest in the extensive trade there. I will be traveling by land as well as by sea. The main purpose of my journey is to do trade with the various cities I will encounter, and establish my trading company in those areas. My first stop will be in Mogadishu. A major trading hub, here I hope to affiliate myself with other trading companies, in the exchange of animal goods in particular. Rhinoceros horns, ivory, and tortoise shells are highly valued items in Baghdad. Along my journey I also plan to stop in Mombasa and Zanzibar. Other items I hope to be able to trade for in those regions include furs, cotton, and precious metals. The extensive network of trade going from these Swahili City- States to Arabia and other parts of the world should fuel my journey and I hope it will allow my business to prosper in the years to come. My first, however; will be Sohar because obviously Baghdad is not a port city.

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