Ghana was located in what is now southeastern Mauritania. The starting of the ruling is uncertain, but it is known in some documents that it began in 830 ce, but we won’t know if that’s true or not. Ghana grew very wealthy from the trading they had with gold and salt. They mostly traded salt because helped their bodies replenish due to the heat and helped restore sodium levels throughout the body. They always traded ivory . they had very good things to trade. But the most demanded was gold.to them it was a sign of wealth and beauty. It was in high demand that is why the empire was wealthy,they got wealthy really fast too. The capital was actually known to have been two cities six miles apart from each other. Between the two cities …show more content…
The mali empire expanded quickly because of trade above all else. It held three gold mines in its borders unlike the ghana empire. The mali empire was the source of almost half the world's gold exports from mines in bambuk, bure and galam. There really wasn't standardized currency throughout the realm. So, the sahel and saharan towns of the mali empire,were organized as both “staging” posts. In the long distance caravan trade and trading centers for the various west african products. For example salt was given away at Takedda,copper. Ibn battuta observed the employment of slave labour in both towns. Copper was a very well appreciated in the mali empire. Copper was traded in bars and was mined from takedda in the North and traded in the South for gold. Sources claim 60 copper bars were traded for 100 dinars of beautiful gold. Another great unit that they traded was gold. Sources say that all gold were immediately handed over to the imperial treasury in return for an equal value of gold dust. Gold dust was used all over the mali empire but was not valued equally in all regions. Salt, was as appreciated in this empire. Salt was cut into pieces and spent on goods. It was good as gold in the north bu even better in the south. The southern needed salt for their diet. Every year merchant went into mali by oulata with …show more content…
Old families lived in the northern part of the town while migrants lived in the southern part. Mant towns run by royalty others ran by oligarchy. Coral was the main construction material and roof was constructed by attaching coral bto limbers. It all contained fluted conical vaults and domes, one hundred rooms with courtyards,terraces and a sunken swimming pool. The swahili used the dhow ocean for trade in distant lands, the swahili provided the asian and mediterranean. Gold, ivory,furs,slaves,tortoise , shell and rhinoceros horns for persian rugs. They manufactured cotton clothes, glass and shell beads for trade with the east african interior.swahili minted their own coins in silver and copper. The swahili had great trade network. It included the red sea egypt,oman on the arabian peninsula Women generally wore brightly colored cotton cloths. They were wrapped around their waists and the upper part of their body . men wore ba striped cloth around their waist that hung to the knees. Some men wore a small white cap to mark that were muslim. Dressing well was a highly valued thing. Outside of their house women wore