Trans-Saharan Trade (1130s)

Timeline

1. 1131–1135Sijilmasa · MoroccoSijilmasa, the main northern distribution station of trans-Saharan trade, received West African gold from caravans and exchanged it for Maghreb salt blocks and cloth; the city's markets and customs system continued to function through changes of regime.
2. 1133–1138Taghaza · SaharaTaghaza's salt mines continued to produce block rock salt, carried north to the Maghreb and south into the West African interior by Berber and Songhai merchants' camel caravans; the salt-for-gold exchange was the economic pillar of trans-Saharan trade.
3. 1136–1140Walata · SaharaAfter the decline of the Ghana Empire's power, gold-producing regions and trade route hubs extended southward toward Walata and Gao; caravan networks remained active in the 1130s, providing an important source of revenue for Maghreb regimes.