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Role play and discussion on the land and sea trade routes of the Orient. |
Caravans & Cities
(- threads, 3 posts)
 Timbuktu
Social Thread
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The capital of the African salt trade, Timbuktu remains a watch word for a remote and far away place.
Timbuktu was founded by the Tuareg Imashagan in the 11th century. It is located at the precise point where the Niger flows northward into the southern edge of the desert. As a result of its unique geographical position, Timbuktu has been a natural meeting point of Songhai, Wangara,Fulani, Tuareg and Arabs.
According to the inhabitants of Timbuku, gold came from the south, the salt from the north and the divine knowledge from Timbuktu. Timbuktu is also the cross-road where "the camel met the canoe." It is to this privilege position that the city owes much of its historical dynamism. From the 11th century and onward, Timbuktu became an important port where goods from West Africa and North Africa were traded, and the hub of caravans heading overland to the East.
