The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade: Ghana, Mali, and the Salt Caravans

Trade Routes That Changed Human History Forever — Fexingo History · May 19, 2026 · 5m · transcript

Before the Atlantic slave trade reshaped West Africa, the Sahara was a highway of salt, gold, and ideas. This episode follows the rise of the Ghana Empire (c. 300–1100 CE) and its successor Mali as they controlled the trans-Saharan gold trade. We look at the silent barter system at Wangara, the role of Berber merchants from Sijilmasa, and the legendary pilgrimage of Mansa Musa in 1324, which redistributed so much gold that it crashed Cairo's economy. We also explore the intellectual commerce: Malian scholars like Ibn Battuta and the scholarly networks of Timbuktu. And we confront a…