Gide. Mysterious city of Kenya

Gedea City is one of the most famous and mysterious settlements on the eastern coast of Africa. Ruins Gedea are 16 kilometers south of the famous resort of Malindi. The mystery of the death of this city is expanding the imagination of not one generation of archaeologists. It turned out not easy to reach it, but after a long search for our expedition, it was possible to detect ruins in tropical thickets.

The city was built at the end of the XIII century. According to one of the versions, it was founded from a migrant, expelled by the authorities from Maldi. Portuguese, Arabs and Swahili Gede clearly did not complain. At least, references to it in written sources to detect still failed. By the way, a much later name "GED", or more correct "Gide", The city gave the captive of his militant nomadic tribes Gala from Somalia. In their language word "Gide" Mean "precious". According to legend, before their appearance, the city was called "Kilimani"..

Geda developed rapidly. And by the middle of the XV century, when the first Europeans have already begun to appear in East Africa, he was already a lively shopping center. However, at the time of the Europeans who appeared in Africa, mostly Portuguese, were interested in not so much trade with backward and wild, according to their concepts, local tribes, how much the opportunity to find a seaway from Europe to India. Therefore, they were in no hurry to explore the coast or move deep into the continent. On the existence of a hedge lost in the coastal jungle, they learned much later ..

Archaeological finds say that it was a major city, at least by the standards of the XVI century. Excavations in Geda began in 1940. During the work, it was possible to detect many buildings: an urban wall, a gate and towers, residential buildings, mosques and crypts, the once luxurious Palace of Sultan, as well as the developed system of wells and pools. There were no little 7 mosques here! Material for construction has become a volcanic breed and local corals.

35 wells were died in the city of hand! The most complex water supply system was created: water, flowing from one well to another, accumulated in special tanks. For citizens in Geda, public shower was built ..

Sultan Palace held about a third of the square of the whole city. Sultan was rich and had 4 wives. For each of them, separate apartments were built. In the palace of Sultan, the servants dug a separate well, for security purposes, not reported to the rest.

All this time in Geda walked. Among the archaeological finds made here, were golden and silver jewelry, coins, Chinese and Arabic porcelain, glass, storage and cooking utensils.

In short, the city flourished. The wells were full of water, a foreign speech sounded around, the goods from all over the world were changed for money, and it seemed to be so. But the paradise on earth could not continue long. One day, Geda was destroyed by a punitive expedition sent by Sultan Mombasi against Sultan Malindi. It happened after Malindi’s troops, as part of which were citizens Gede, in April 1529 plundered Mombasu, interrupted most of the citizens. Perhaps the punishers, walking around the heat more than 100 kilometers, did not reach Malindi or confused him with Geda. But one way or another, instead of fighting with the Sultan Malindi, they seated their anger on Sultan Gedea. Most of the population of the city was destroyed. But at that time people returned. But at the end of the XVI century, something much more terrible happened in the city. This is something forced the population horrified away from Gide ..

At that time, more than two and a half thousand people lived in the city. In one day, they are in good kind, leaving the property acquired by years, left their homes and left the city forever ..

Still unknown that forced them to do it. According to one of the versions, the most expensive thing in Africa – water left the wells, and residents of the city began to die from thirst. On the other, they were struck by leprosy or the unknown, incurable disease that appeared and disappeared suddenly. On the third – the city fell eternal, terrible curse. It was equivalent to death in it ..

The ruins preserved to this days are silent, one of the biggest mysteries of the African coast. And it seems that the gloomy mystery Gedea is so forever and will remain undisclosed ..