Why Did Everyone Leave? The Mysterious Abandonment of Gedi (Episode #54)

Mysterious Pals

The Lost City of Gedi was a prominent trading hub in Kenya along the Swahili Coast from the 13th to 17th centuries, before it was mysteriously abandoned. When rediscovered in the 1920s by British colonialists, archaeologists were astonished by its ornate architecture and advanced urban planning, including features like indoor plumbing, which challenged colonial misconceptions about African societies. Artifacts found at the site revealed that Gedi engaged in trade with distant regions, including China, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice. However, the reasons behind its sudden abandonment remain unclear. Was it due to environmental factors, foreign invasions, or a disease outbreak? To this day, no definitive explanation has been found.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

• Ahonsi, Victor. “Gedi Ruins: All You Need to Know about Kenya’s Lost Civilization and the Spooky Stories Surrounding It’s Existence | I Love Africa.” Iloveafrica.com, 22 Feb. 2024, iloveafrica.com/the-story-behind-gedi-ruins-in-kenya/#google_vignette
• ‌“Gede Museum – National Museums of Kenya.” Museums.or.ke, 2024, museums.or.ke/gede-museum/#:~:text=But%20in%20the%20first%20half
• ‌“Gedi Ruins: The Mysterious Lost City on the East African Coast.” Africa Geographic, 4 Oct. 2022, africageographic.com/stories/gedi-ruins/
• Palmer, Rose. 16 Aug. 2024‌“Get Thee to the Gedi Ruins - Quiltripping.” Quiltripping, 19 Apr. 2019, quiltripping.com/get-the-to-the-gede-ruins-in-watamu-kenya/
• PBS. “The Swahili Coast.” Wonders of the African World, www.pbs.org/wonders/Episodes/Epi2/2_wondr1.htm. Accessed 11 Sept. 2024.
• ‌“The Lost City of Gedi - Owaahh.” Owaahh, 22 June 2017, owaahh.com/lost-city-gedi
• ‌Whelan, Ed. “Could the Gedi Ruins Be Haunted by Jins?” Ancient Origins Reconstructing the Story of Humanity’s Past, Ancient Origins, 31 Jan. 2019, www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places/gedi-ruins-kenya-0011412#google_vignette

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