Kukiya, Mali — Wikipedia

Kukiya is an archaeological site and ancient city on the banks of the Niger River in present-day Mali. It was an early capital of the Songhai people, preceding the founding of the city of Gao. It is located on an island in the Niger River near the village of Bentia in the Ouattagouna commune. The site has yet to be fully excavated, but the earliest occupation has been tentatively dated to the 2nd millennium BCE. The island dominates a stretch of river between two rapids, making it an important stopping point on Trans-Saharan trade routes linking Borgu, Hausaland, and other Sub-Saharan...