Trans-saharan trade

Definition

Trans-Saharan trade was the network of trade routes crossing the Sahara Desert that connected West Africa to North Africa and the Mediterranean world. For over a thousand years, merchants exchanged gold, salt, enslaved people, and other goods, spreading Islam and cultural practices across the region.

Examples

  • The Ghana Empire (c. 300-1200 CE) grew wealthy by taxing gold and salt that passed through its territory
  • Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, distributing enormous amounts of gold along the way
  • Timbuktu became a major center of Islamic learning and trade on the trans-Saharan routes
Key Fact

Gold moved north from West Africa while salt moved south from Saharan mines—these two commodities drove the trans-Saharan trade for centuries.

Related Terms

Silk roads Indian ocean trade North africa Sub-saharan africa

Study This Concept

Practice trans-Saharan trade with free review games in these units:

AP World History: Modern Unit 2: Networks of Exchange