Saharian Trade Routes

West African empires like Mali and Songhai grew wealthy through trans-Saharan trade routes between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa from 1050 to 1500. Camels and the invention of the camel saddle enabled traders to carry goods like gold, salt, and other resources across the vast Sahara Desert, connecting Mediterranean ports to southern African markets. Salt deposits in the desert were highly valuable, as salt was a precious and scarce commodity south of the Sahara, and traders could exchange salt for gold and other goods. This lucrative salt trade helped ancient empires like Mali and Ghana rise to power by taxing goods along the routes.