Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
Timbuktu's 1585 Saharan Salt War
In 1585, Timbuktu found itself at the center of a brutal conflict over the salt mines of Taghaza—a resource so valuable it was traded ounce for ounce for gold. This episode unpacks the Moroccan invasion of the Songhai Empire, the pivotal Battle of Tondibi, and the fall of Askia Ishaq II. We explore how the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur, flush with victory and gunpowder, toppled one of Africa's greatest empires, and how the subsequent occupation reshaped Timbuktu's intellectual life. Through the lens of the Tarikh al-Sudan and the writings of Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti, we trace the…
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