The Kingdom of Mali rose to power in the 14th century under the rule of Mansa Musa. His pilgrimage to Mecca made Mali extremely wealthy and elevated Timbuktu's status as a center of trade, learning, and Islamic culture. Timbuktu's Sankore University and numerous scholars made it a premier destination for the study of mathematics, science, and other fields. While Timbuktu declined due to later conflicts and changes, it remains an important symbol of Africa's rich intellectual history and is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1. The Kingdom of Mali
Timbuktu in the 14th Century

2. The Kingdom of Mali and the City of
Timbuktu in the 14th century
Exercise p107
1. Africa
2. Sahara Desert
3. Hot
4. Atlantic Ocean
5. Niger River
6. Gold and salt
7. Mediterranean Sea
8. Cairo
9. Mecca (Makkah)
10.Camels

3. Trade across the Sahara
• Malian empire had gold and salt (Taghaza)
• Sahara desert vast – difficult to navigate (find a way)
• Intelligent and skilled navigators – used astronomy
(study of stars)
• Camel caravan – ‘ships of the desert’
– Suitable for desert journey: transport people and goods
– Could carry a good load

4. Activity 1 p108
1. a) Caravan
b) navigate
c) Sahara
2. Carry people and goods
Camels well adapted to the desert
They can go a many days without eating or drinking
– store fat in their humps
3. Like ships carry goods over the sea; camels carry
goods across deserts

5. Trading Gold and Salt
• King of Mali taxed goods being traded
• Tax: payment made to government or authority
• The king kept gold nuggets and only permitted
trade of gold dust – power and wealth
• Traded swords, iron, copper, cloth, silk, horses
• Exchanged slaves, ivory and ostrich feathers

6. Activity 2 (p.109)
Exported Imported
Gold Swords
Salt Iron
Slaves Copper
Ivory Cloth
Ostrich feathers Silk
Horses

7. Slavery
• Slave: person owned by another, seen as a
possession
• African slaves were taken to Europe
• Criminals and Prisoners of war usually became
slaves – right?

8. Spread of Islam in Mali
• Muslims – one who follows the religion of Islam
• Final messenger of the Muslims – Nabi
Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬
• Was given a scripture from God – the Qur’an
• Qur’an and Sunnah encouraged spreading Islam
and seeking knowledge
• Encouraged literacy and critical thinking
• People accepted Islam through trade (commerce)

9. Spread of Islam
Activity 3 (p110)
1. Because they wanted to trade and study
2. because they were encouraged by the Qur’an
and the Prophet Muhammad to do so.
3. because it happened through international
trade and commerce (business)
4. Because the mosque had a minaret from which
a person called the athaan (call to prayer)

10. Sources of Information
1. Material – object e.g. pot, coin, bones
2. Written e.g. book, letter
3. Visual e.g. photograph, map, drawing, painting,
video
4. Oral e.g. spoken story, poem, rhyme

11. Sources of Information
Activity 4 (p112)
1. Material – object;
written – books; Types of Sources
visual - picture
oral - story sources
2.
Source Type About
A Written Timbuktu was an amazing city of learning
B Visual Shows how traders dressed
C Material Shows Arabic writing
D Written Written language Arabic / Scholarly writing
E Oral King of Mali was Mansa Musa

12. Mali’s Rise to Power – Mansa Musa
• Mansa Keita Musa – 13th century
• He created a powerful empire
• Used Mali’s resources (gold and salt) to create a
powerful empire
• Encouraged Islam
Mansa Musa
• Wealthiest ruler in history
• Known as Lion of Mali – lion symbol of royal
power, strength and bravery

13. Rise of the Kingdom of Mali
Activity 1 (p113)
1. silk, copper, swords, iron
2. Gold, salt, ivory, slaves
3. He maintained control using administrators and
advisors. He also taxed goods that were imported
and exported to create wealth for Mali. Keeping
accurate records.
4. They were encouraged to seek knowledge. (Knowledge
is power). Islam encouraged literacy and that they
should be better people. Encouraged inventions and
new ideas.
5. Material source
6. It seemed like a good, honourable title as a lion is seen as
powerful

14. Mansa Musa’s Haj
• Haj – pilgrimage (journey) to Makkah
• Haj is a pillar of Islam – every Muslim should
undertake the journey once in their lifetime if
able
• Muslims perform acts of worship by the Kaaba in
Makkah
1324 - Mansa Musa set out for Haj with large
group
Became well-known as he gave lots of charity
Brought back scholars and knowledge to improve
Mali

15. Activity 2 (p.114)
1. Source B - Visual source
2. He gave away gold to many people. He had
thousands of servants and slaves as well as
hundreds of camels and elephants.
3. Source C – Written
4. Muslims (Islam)
5. To complete haj - the pillar of Islam. He
brought back many scholars to help Mali
6. Likely to have worn a turban

16. Construction of the Great Mosque
• Started in 1324, after Mansa’s pilgrimage to
Makkah
• Mosque a mix of Malian and Middle Eastern
architecture
• Completed mosque in 1332, after Mansa died
• Became a centre of learning
Materials
– Mud bricks; wooden beams; stone foundation;
roof: palm branches and leaves with mud

17. City of Timbuktu
• Founded as a nomadic resting camp
• Became part of the Mali empire in 13thC
• Near the Niger River: source of water, farming
• Ideal trading centre – meeting point of the
desert and mines
• Became centre of Islamic culture and
• Centre of Learning

18. Leo Africanus
• Traveller
• From Spain
• Moved to Fez, Morocco
• Studied at the University
• Accepted Islam
• Travelled to Timbuktu

19. Description of Timbuktu
• Leo Africanus authored Description of Africa
• Read by many in Europe
• Europeans thought of Africa as a dark
continent – knew little about it
• Described its large city and cultures
• Trade and learning (knowledge)

20. Timbuktu as a Centre of Learning
• The Golden Age of Timbuktu – it flourished, at it’s
peak, did very well
– Happened before the Renaisance
– 1st Islamic University
• Growth of Islam and Science
• Islam encourages seeking knowledge and critical
thinking
• Qur’an teaches us to reflect on the natural
environment and
– To understand our world to realise the Greatness of
Allah

21. • Sankore University (1st University) and Mosque
• Timbuktu – centre of book trade
• Scholarly articles and books written in Arabic
on various fields of knowledge :
Islam, mathematics, chemistry, physics, optics
(light), astronomy, medicine, history,
geography, law
• Manuscripts (old, handwritten books) – passed
down over generations

22. Activity 5
1. It was an amazing centre of learning. There
were many traders and scholar.
5. Africa has a rich history as many events took
place. If Europeans didn’t know about it, that
does not mean there was no history.

23. Knowledge in Timbuktu
Activity 6 p123
1. A collection of old books written by scholars
2. Arabic alphabet
3. Arabic and Africanised languages
4. It is old and weakened over time. Some
manuscripts were lost as they were sold to
tourists.

24. Decline of Timbuktu
• Internal fighting
• European colonisation in Africa
• Change in trade routes – shipping became
easier
• Timbuktu now been as underdeveloped and
run-down

25. Timbuktu as a World Heritage Site
• United Nations: organisation of co-operation
of most countries around the world
• UNESCO –United Nations Environmental
Scientific and Cultural Organisation
–Protect culture around the world
–Declare places world heritage sites: to
protect and preserve
• important symbols to humanity