The Wonders of Africa

The Empire of Ghana was much larger than it is today. During the colonial era it was called the gold coast. They have claimed to have 22 kings before the Muslim era and 22 kings after, dating the empire back to the first few centuries. The king controlled gold coming in from the south and salt from the north. This kept the empire flourishing and they had a strong army to defend it. The empire shrunk to just small kingdoms.

The city of Meroe was a kingdom for up to nine centuries. They built pyramids that ensured their existence and remembrance in late centuries. Even though they did not have their own written language alphabet letters where found in the city.

The emperor Zara Yaqob placed a lot of emphasis on christian art. The was a lot of emphasis put on paintings of the virgin Mary. Ethiopian painters used this emphasis and made it into their own styles.



http://www.pbs.org/wonders/fr_wn.htm