Timbuktu emerged as a center of trade along the Niger River in the desert of the Sahara. Under Mansa Musa's rule, Timbuktu grew into an important center of Islamic learning and culture. Mansa Musa constructed mosques, universities, and libraries that turned Timbuktu into a major hub for the spread of Islam and the preservation of knowledge in West Africa. Today, institutions in Mali work to preserve Timbuktu's vast collection of manuscripts documenting African and Islamic scholarship.

1. Timbuktu
the influence of Islam and
the legendary city of

2. Salt from the Sahara
Gold from West Africa

3. Islam Reaches Africa
As trade expanded in West Africa, merchants from the Islamic world brought their customs and beliefs across the
Sahara desert, along with their goods.
Islam began to challenge traditional African beliefs and gain new followers in Africa.
Leaders of the Ghana Empire adopted Islam and eventually built more than ten mosques in its capital.

4. Timbuktu Emerges
Where the Niger River meets the desert, a settlement sprung up from the sands of the Sahara.
The city, known as Timbuktu, became a center of trade and its wealth grew.
The city had an openness to outsiders and strangers, and it attracted Muslim scholars.
Sahara
Desert
Timbuktu
Niger River

5. The Edge of the Sahara
Timbuktu's position on trans-Saharan trade routes allowed exchanges between diverse groups, and it
became a major marketplace for gold, salt, and goods.
The relationship between African merchants and the nomadic Tuareg set the stage for the city's growth,
marked by the construction of mosques and the arrival of more scholars and traders.

6. A Pilgrimage that Shook the World
In 1324 Musa embarked on the hajj, the religious pilgrimage to Mecca.
Musa reportedly traveled with 8,000 courtiers, 12,000 slaves, and 100 loads of pure gold. Musa may have been the richest
person in the history of the world.
Mansa Musa's pilgrimage showcased Mali's immense wealth. So great were the riches Musa brought with him that he single
handedly changed economies along his route.

7. Mansa Musa and Timbuktu’s Growth
On his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa peacefully annexed the city of Timbuktu, and paid for the construction of a great mosque, a
royal palace, and a university there.
Mansa Musa brought Islamic scholars back from Mecca to further spread Islam in West Africa.
The construction of structures like the Djinguereber mosque elevated Timbuktu's fame across Europe and the Muslim world.
Mosques and schools proliferated in Timbuktu, mirroring what was found in the other great Islamic cities of Cairo and Mecca.

8. A Center of Islamic Knowledge
Timbuktu was a beacon of Islamic learning, and was admired by travelers like Ibn Battuta and Leo Africanus for
its scholarly pursuits and prized manuscripts.
It was an important stop along the pilgrimage route to Mecca, and it became a hub for Islamic knowledge and
manuscript preservation.
At its peak, Timbuktu had a major University at the Sankore Mosque, with over 25,000 students and a rigorous
curriculum in Islamic sciences and Arabic studies.
The education system cultivated scholars deeply immersed in their subjects, shaping both their knowledge and
way of life.

9. University in Timbuktu
Students studied language, poetry, grammar, literature, philosophy, Islamic law, and the Quran. Optional
studies included history, algebra, physics, medicine, chemistry, arithmetic, and astronomy.
It took 10 years on average for students to graduate. Graduation gifts included clothes, blocks of salt,
livestock, and money. Wealthy graduates rode to their graduation on a white horse, in white robes.

10. A Legacy of Learning
Today, institutions in Mali preserve Timbuktu's manuscripts, written in classical Arabic.
Much of Timbuktu’s written knowledge is also kept in several private libraries and collections in Mali.
The people of Timbuktu have stored these documents for centuries and preserved a vast wealth of African
and Islamic knowledge.

11. Essential Question
What evidence do we see of
Islam’s Influence in Africa?
Today you will imagine that you are a traveler visiting
Timbuktu during the Mali Empire. Observe the artifacts posted
around the room. Consider the influence of Islam as you fill
out the Sightseeing in Mali Analysis Chart.