Medieval Trade Routes
Destiny Joseph@josephdestiny597391
5 days ago
Day 16 of the Discover Africa and Visit Africa challenge opened up with ancient cities crucial to African civilization. Many of such cities still bear the marks of the passing of time and one of such Ancient city of Kano, Nigeria.
This ancient city domiciled in West Africa played an important role in both civilization and economy of the African continent and from such cities came great Empires which evolved into Major trade routes connecting Africa and other economic hubs spread across the World especially Europe, Middle East and India.
The trade routes of Ancient African cities played an important role in grooming the economy of many African Empires and cities. Some of these cities which also served as centres for commerce and sales included Ghana, Mali Agadez (in Niger Republic), Djenne, Timbuktu and Gao.
These routes crossed the Sahara Desert between Western/Central Africa and the port trade centers along the Mediterranean Sea. Cities beside the coastal lines also evolved especially those in the Northern part of the continent. Cairo and Tunisia fall in this category
Interestingly, the items traded across the economic hubs of Ancient African cities were gold, metal goods/works (e.g. Swords), jewellery/beads, slaves, Ivory, Camels and clothes.
One important commodity of trade in those days was the Camel. Usually, traders that threaded the path of Sub-Saharan region of Africa, often travelled in large groups called caravans to provide protection from robbers sneaking on them and their goods.
Travelling the Sahara desert without a camel would have been an impossible task for these traders owing to the dry nature of the region. For some reasons, Camels could travel the 40-day old journey covering about 3 miles per hour across the harsh, arid desert without water.
Its also worthy of note to realize the peak African trade experienced in those ancient trade routes also contributed to the spread of the Islamic religion because the Arabs conquered certain parts of Africa especially, North Africa.
To this day, these routes have formed strongholds for Islam and have maintained their integrity as ancient trade hubs. They also have Arabic as their common language which stemmed from the time the Arabs traversed the length of breadth of such regions.
You'll like to know more of the history of African trade routes, do well to Visit Africa and you'll Discover Africa in a new light.
Source: Exploros
📍Tunisia, Tunisia
📍Agadez, Niger
📍Kano, Nigeria
📍Sub-Saharan Africa
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