Qandala is an ancient port city located on the Gulf of Aden. A diary dated to 50 CE indicates that Qandala was a trade centre for cinnamon and spices. This trade seems to be evidence that the people were seafarers who traveled to the Far East, as far as present-day India and China.
Apart from gums, ivory, animal skins and incense, the rise of the coastal trading post was due to the commercial opportunities the port generated. Ancient migration routes joined Gulf countries to Qandala. Archaeological evidence suggests that Qandala may have been an important trading center in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, participating in East Africa’s trade with the Middle East and Asia. Qandala City’s early name was “Gacanka Hodonka”, which means Gulf Of Prosperity referring to the Qandala community and to the successful traders of East Africa. One of the largest exports of Qandala is a traditional gum, which is exported to several countries in the Arabian Peninsula, Asia and Australia.
