TIMBUKTU
The city of Timbuktu was located
on one of the major trade routes that passed through the Sahara
Desert and the kingdoms of West Africa. Salt was in such demand
in 1513 that one account noted a camel load of salt brought 500
miles by caravan sold for 80 ducats of gold, while a horse was
sold for only 40 ducats. The city was not merely a trading center
but a focal point of Islamic scholarship, and by 1550 it had three
universities linked to the principal mosques and also 180 Koranic
schools.
Points to Ponder:
--Note how the city is shown. What types of buildings do you see?
--What do you imagine the big building on the right hand side is?
--Why are the streets straight? What purpose would this serve?
Source:William Duiker
and Jackson Spielvogel, World History (West Publishing,
1994): 250; drawing by Caillie of Timbuktu in the British Library.