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Koumbi Saleh

Type Object Region West Africa Time c. 750–1400

Koumbi Saleh is the ruined capital of the Ghana Empire (Wagadou) in present-day southeastern Mauritania, composed of a royal quarter and a commercial…

Timeline

  1. c. 750–850Koumbi Saleh · MauritaniaThe Soninke-established Ghana Empire established its capital here, forming a 'twin city' pattern of a royal quarter and a merchant quarter side by side, laying the foundation for a future trans-Saharan trade hub.
  2. c. 900–1050Koumbi Saleh · MauritaniaIn the early 11th century, Koumbi Saleh may have had a population of tens of thousands, gathering North African Muslim merchants and emissaries from the gold-producing regions to the south, becoming the political and economic core of West Africa and an important node for the introduction of Islamic culture.
  3. c. 1076–1400Koumbi Saleh · MauritaniaAfter the Almoravid conquest of Ghana, the capital lost its status as the empire's center, trade routes shifted eastward, and the city gradually fell into ruin, leaving only mosque and settlement remains for archaeological study today.

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