← Explore on the interactive map

Kumbi Saleh, Ghana Empire

Type Object Region West Africa Time c. 700–1200

Kumbi Saleh in southeastern Mauritania is a leading archaeological site of the Ghana Empire (Wagadu), traditionally seen as its capital or a major tr…

Timeline

  1. 701–900Kumbi Saleh · MauritaniaUnder Soninke rule the Ghana Empire consolidated taxation rights over gold-producing areas and salt routes; settlements around Kumbi Saleh expanded into a regional political and economic hub linking Saharan salt mines with southern Wangara goldfields.
  2. c. 900–1067Kumbi Saleh · MauritaniaArabic geographical texts describe the imperial capital as a twin-city structure about ten kilometers apart: a pagan royal city housing the court and a stone-built quarter of Muslim merchants; excavations revealed mosques, stone houses, and Arabic inscriptions confirming deep penetration of Islamic commercial networks.
  3. c. 1076–1400Kumbi Saleh · MauritaniaAfter Almoravid military strikes the empire politically disintegrated; around the 14th century Kumbi Saleh still showed traces of habitation but on a shrunken scale, and 20th-century archaeology uncovered extensive Muslim urban remains while the royal quarter remains unlocated.

Sources