Gao

City · c. 1464 CE · in North Africa

Capital of Songhai Empire (1464–1591).

Turpan (c. 1463 CE): Capital of Moghulistan (1463–1518), Eastern Chagatai Khanate (1492–1511), Eastern Moghulistan (1519–1570), and 1 more.
Aksu (c. 1463 CE): Capital of Moghulistan (1463–1518), Eastern Chagatai Khanate (1492–1511), Eastern Moghulistan (1519–1570), and 1 more.
Sarajevo (1462 CE): Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–today).
Jajce (c. 1460 CE): Capital of Kingdom of Bosnia (1460–1463).
Vonitsa (c. 1460 CE): Capital of Despotate of Epirus (1460–1479).
Zugdidi (c. 1468 CE): Capital of Principality of Mingrelia (1468–1803).
Sokhumi (c. 1468 CE): Capital of Principality of Abkhazia (1468–1810).
Gremi (c. 1468 CE): Capital of Kingdom of Kakheti (1468–1762).
Sozak (c. 1468 CE): Capital of Kazakh Khanate (1468–1469).
Bucharest (1459 CE): Capital of United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (1859–1881), Kingdom of Romania (1919–1947), Socialist Republic of Romania (1965–1989).

Around the same time and place

Trans-Saharan trade (c. 700–1600 CE): Camel caravans crossed the Sahara between Morocco and the Niger bend, exchanging North African goods and Saharan salt from mines such as Taghaza for West African gold, enriching the empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai.
Mali Empire (c. 1235–1670 CE): West African empire founded by Sundiata Keita that at its height in the 14th century stretched from the Atlantic coast to the Niger bend and controlled major gold sources.
Songhai Empire (c. 1464–1591 CE): Empire centred on Gao that under Sunni Ali and Askia Muhammad became one of the largest states in African history before falling to a Moroccan invasion in 1591.
Benin Bronzes (c. 1500 CE): Thousands of cast brass plaques and sculptures made for the royal court of the Kingdom of Benin, mostly from the 16th century onwards; looted by British forces in 1897.
Lagos (1472 CE): Capital of Federal Republic of Nigeria (1963–1991).
Elmina Castle (1482 CE): Built by the Portuguese in 1482 on the Gold Coast, the oldest surviving European building south of the Sahara; captured by the Dutch in 1637, it became a major hub of the Atlantic slave trade.
Askia Muhammad I (c. 1443 CE – 1538 CE): Emperor of Songhai from 1493 to 1528 who expanded and centralised the empire and promoted Islamic learning in Timbuktu.