Portugal's Forgotten African Fortress of Arguim and the Gold Trade

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the little-known story of Arguim, the first Portuguese feitoria in sub-Saharan Africa. Built in 1448 on a small island off the coast of modern-day Mauritania, Arguim was a stone fortress and trading post that funneled gold, slaves, and gum arabic into the Portuguese economy — decades before Vasco da Gama reached India. Lucas explains how Prince Henry the Navigator authorized the fort, how Portuguese traders bartered with the Sanhaja Berbers for gold from the Mali Empire, and how the caravel made the whole enterprise viable. The conversation also covers the brutal reality of the slave trade that soon followed, the rivalry with the Kingdom of Tlemcen, and the eventual decline as Portugal moved its focus to India. Along the way, they touch on the fortress's architecture, the role of the Order of Christ, and why Arguim is largely forgotten today. A thoughtful look at the commercial and human cost of empire-building. #Arguim #PortugueseEmpire #GoldTrade #PrinceHenryTheNavigator #WestAfrica #Slavery #Caravel #Feitoria #OrderOfChrist #MaliEmpire #Sanhaja #Berbers #Mauritania #15thCentury #PortugueseHistory #History #FexingoHistory #AgeOfDiscovery Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo