Mali, Songhai and the Swahili coast 1235–1591

The great West African empires and the Swahili city-states of the east coast.

Map of Africa in 1492, during the Mali, Songhai and the Swahili coast — Border map for 1492. See the world in 1492.

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<p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Interactive map: <a href="https://chronicamaps.com/en/era/mali-songhai-and-the-swahili-coast">Mali, Songhai and the Swahili coast 1235–1591</a> · Chronica Maps</p>

Border maps in this era

Timeline

Year	Event	Where
1324	Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca	Timbuktu
1482	The Portuguese build Elmina Castle	Elmina

Battles and sites

Elmina · 1482

← Islam and the Ghana Empire The Atlantic slave trade →

Notable people of the Mali, Songhai and the Swahili coast

Lived	Person
c. 1280 – 1337	Mansa Musa	Emperor of Mali
c. 1443 – 1538	Askia Muhammad	Emperor of Songhai
c. 1583 – 1663	Queen Nzinga	Queen of Ndongo and Matamba

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.