Trans-Saharan Salt Routes

Timeline

1. c. 800–1100Core of the Ghana Empire (upper Niger River) · SahelArabic geographical texts record that Ghana controlled southern sources of gold, while North African merchants traded salt blocks, textiles, and horses for gold; camel caravans crossing the Sahara formed a stable complementary gold–salt trade.
2. c. 1190–1199Taghaza–Gao–Timbuktu axis · Niger BendAs the Ghana Empire declined late in the 12th century and powers such as the Soso rose, salt caravans still carried goods north from mining areas like Taghaza, exchanging southward through nodes such as Gao for gold and kola nuts. Timbuktu had not yet become the later scholarly center, but was already an important transit point.
3. c. 1250–1500Timbuktu · MaliAfter the Mali Empire controlled more gold sources and trade-route nodes, Timbuktu became a major hub of trans-Saharan trade and Islamic scholarship, and the scale and organization of the salt–gold exchange reached the medieval West African peak.