The Wangara Region, Kumbi Saleh and Sijilmasa
Ancient Ghana derived power and wealth from its vast gold mines in an area called the Wangara region. In fact, ancient Arab writings describe Ghana as having the richest gold mines on earth. These mines were situated at Bambuk, on the upper Senegal River. The ruling Soninke people also sold slaves, salt and copper in exchange for textiles, beads and finished goods. Their capital city, Kumbi Saleh, was built right on the edge of the Sahara and the city quickly became the most dynamic and important southern point of the Saharan trade routes. Kumbi Saleh became the focus of all trade, with a systematic form of taxation.
The route taken by traders of the Maghreb to Ghana started in North Africa in Tahert, coming down through Sjilmasa in Southern Morocco. From there the trail went south and inland, running parallel with the coast, then round to the south-east through Awdaghust and ending up in Kumbi Saleh. Inevitably the traders brought Islam with them.
In the 11th and 12th Century, new gold fields began to be mined at Bure (modern Guinea) out of commercial Ghana and new trade routes were opening up further east. Ghana then became the target of attacks by the Sosso ruler, Sumanguru. From this conflict in 1235, the Malinke people of the gold-rich Wangara region came under the rule of Sundiata Keita and soon became eclipsed by the Mali Empire of Sundiata.
The Mali Empire was famous for the generosity and wealth of its ruler, Mansa Musa, and for the grand richness of its capital city, Timbuktu. Timbuktu housed a library and was a center of Islamic study. Upon his arrival in the city during his 1325 hajj, Mansa Musa ordered the building of a magnificent mosqueùone far larger than any the region had knownùin the western corner of the city. Its name, Jingerebir, is a corruption of the Arabic jami' al-kabir, or "the great mosque."
...