▁the ▁eastern ▁trade , ▁including ▁along ▁the ▁Red ▁Sea ▁with ▁Eth iop ia . ▁In ▁this ▁region ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Greek ▁trad ing ▁cities ▁that ▁were ▁established ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁condu it ▁for ▁their ▁civil ization ▁and ▁learning . ▁ ▁The ▁Egypt ian ▁( and ▁later , ▁Roman ) ▁city ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁( f ounded ▁by ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great ▁in ▁ 3 3 4 ▁BC ), ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁hub s ▁for ▁Mediter rane an ▁trade ▁for ▁many ▁centuries . ▁Well ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁Egypt ▁remained ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁developed ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁N ub ia ▁in ▁Sud an ▁like wise ▁trad ed ▁with ▁interior ▁African ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁Ch ad ▁and ▁Lib ya , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁with ▁Egypt , ▁China , ▁India ▁and ▁the ▁Arab ian ▁pen ins ula . ▁ ▁For ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁mill en ni um ▁AD , ▁the ▁Ax um ite ▁Kingdom ▁in ▁Eth iop ia ▁and ▁E rit rea ▁had ▁a ▁powerful ▁n avy ▁and ▁trad ing ▁links ▁reaching ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁and ▁India . ▁Between ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁and ▁ 1 7 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁A j ur an ▁Sultan ate ▁centered ▁in ▁modern - day ▁Som alia ▁pract iced ▁hyd ra ul ic ▁engineering ▁and ▁developed ▁new ▁systems ▁for ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁tax ation , ▁which ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Horn ▁of ▁Africa ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁the ▁ 1