Which West African empire thrived on trans-Saharan trade of gold and salt and featured centers like Timbuktu?

• A. Ghana Empire
• B. Mali Empire
• C. Songhai Empire
• D. Benin Empire

Answer: (B)

Trade across the Sahara linked West Africa’s gold-rich interior with North Africa and the Mediterranean, turning control of those routes into wealth and power. The empire that capitalized on this network built its strength by overseeing gold and salt caravans, turning cities like Timbuktu and Djenné into thriving centers of trade, learning, and Islam. Rulers such as Sundiata and especially Mansa Musa expanded this wealth and prestige, with Timbuktu becoming a symbol of the empire’s prosperity. While later powers also touched Timbuktu, the era most closely associated with its rise as a major hub of gold-salt commerce and scholarship is the Mali Empire.