Mali & Timbuktu: Legends of Gold Paved Streets Quiz

Answer: 3.8 %

Mali can be divided into three zones: the Sahara in the north, the Sahel in the middle and savannah in the south. About 65 percent of Mali's land area is desert or semi-desert, only 3.8 percent of Mali's area can be classified as arable land, mostly on the banks of its major rivers.

The Sahara is the world's largest desert, covering over 9,400,000 square kilometres (3,600,000 sq mi). The southern fringe of the Sahara is called the Sahel, an area of transition from desert to savannah. It is a semi-arid zone with more irregular rainfall and cycles of drought than the savannah grasslands. Sahel is Arabic for 'shore'.

Answer: Niger

The source of the Niger lies in Guinea. It runs through Guinea, Mali, Niger, along the border of Benin and through Nigeria where the delta flows into the Atlantic ocean.

The length of the river is 4,180 km (2,600 mi). Only the Nile and the Congo are longer.

Answer: Touareg

The Touareg are a Berber people who are indigenous inhabitants of the Sahara.
Although they traditionally had a nomadic lifestyle, many of them live in modern cities in Mali, Niger or Algeria. They are sometimes called the 'blue people' because the blue colour of their robes and turbans rubs off on their skin.

The independence of many African countries in the 1960s meant that the traditional Touareg territory became divided by the new countries. Restrictions on their nomadic lifestyle, competition for resources and desertification have led to conflicts between the Touareg and some of the new governments. In April 2012, a Touareg rebellion drove the Malian army out of the northern part of the country. The NMLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) unilaterally declared the independence of Azawad. The state of Azawad wasn't recognized by any other country in 2012.

The three wrong answers are ethnic Mandé peoples.

Answer: Mansa Musa

Mansa Musa was the grandson of Sundiata Keita, the Muslim founder of the Mali empire. At the time, Mali was the source of a third of the world's gold and Musa was fabulously wealthy.

There were three principal gold fields, all located in the south of the empire. The most important one was at Bambuk, between the Sénégal and Falémé rivers. Another, was at Buré above the Upper Niger (today North East Guinea). The third was in Akan territory in the modern republics of Ivory Coast and Ghana. During the famous hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), Musa gave away so much gold in Cairo that the price of gold was depressed for the next 20 years.

Called "The Magnificent", Mansa Musa was celebrated for his enlightenment and piety. He promoted Islam and built many mosques across the country but never persecuted other religions. He encouraged trade between his country and the world beyond.

Mansa Musa made Timbuktu a centre of learning and craftsmanship. Students came from everywhere to enjoy the free education there. He died in 1337 after ruling for 25 years.

Answer: Marrakech

The Malian empire went into decline from the 1370s on and was eventually absorbed into the Songhai empire. For more than a century the Songhai dominated western Africa. Timbuktu remained the central point where goods from Marrakech brought in via the Trans-Sahara trade route were exchanged with gold coming from the goldmines in the south.

In 1578 CE Al-Mansour became sultan of the Saädi dynasty of Marrackech. His building projects in Marrakech and the great costs of maintaining the military made his treasury run empty. The wealth of the Songhai empire proved to be irresistible. In 1591 CE Al-Mansour invaded the Songhai empire, and although his army was vastly outnumbered he managed to defeat them in the battle of Tondibi. The Moroccans used gunpowder weapons for the first time in the region, whilst the Songhai still used conventional arms. Timbuktu, Djenné and Gao were conquered and looted. Al-Mansour used the looted riches to extend his palaces in Marrakech.

Although the Saädis couldn't hang on to the conquered Malian territories for long the Songhay were never able to recover their empire. it didn't take long until formerly subjugated local powers asserted their independence. From then on, Timbuktu and the Trans-Sahara trade-route went into decline.

Answer: The French Geographical Society offered a reward of 10,000 Francs for the first non-Muslim to visit and return from Timbuktu

The initial incentive was a reward of 10,000 Francs promised by the French Geographical Society for the first non-Muslim to visit and return from Timbuktu.

Scotsman Gordon Laing was the first to attempt. In July 16, 1825 he left Tripoli (Libya), but his expedition was marred by illness and attacks from hostile Touareg tribes. Only Laing himself and one member of the expedition reached Timbuktu in August 1826. Laing had lost his right hand and was penniless when he arrived. The local ruler wasn't very welcoming either and Laing had to leave after three days. He was murdered on the way back.

Frenchman René Caillié fared rather better. He had spent some time in what is now Mauritania where he learnt Arabic and converted to Islam. He dressed as a Muslim and joined a caravan in Guinea. After he arrived in Djenné he continued on the river Niger and reached Timbuktu in April 20, 1828. On the way back he again joined a caravan to cross the Sahara to Morocco. From Tangier he sailed back to France to collect his reward.

The French kept coming, and in 1892 Mali became part of France's West African colony called French Sudan. Despite fierce local resistance, the French held most of the territory under control by 1905. Mali gained its independence in 1960.

Answer: University of Sankoré

The university of Sankoré was founded in the 10th century CE and the main building was located in the Sankoré Mosque, a spectacular pyramid shaped work of architecture. During the 16th century CE the university of Sankoré was the heart of Islamic scholarship. Students travelled across the Islam world from as far as India and Persia to visit the famed school.

The organization of the university of Sankoré was very different from that of European medieval universities. It had no central of administration, student registers of prescribes courses of study. Instead it was composed of many entirely independent colleges each run by a single imam and instructions were often carried out on individual basis.

Courses took place in the open country yards of the mosque or in private homes. The primary focus of the university was the study of the Qur'an although many imams gave lessons in history, astronomy and logic. Scholars were encouraged to write their own books because it was profitable to do so. In the Islamic world at the time books were much more expensive than gold or slaves.

Unfortunately the best scholars left the school during the Moroccan invasion of Mali in the 1590s and never returned. The University of Sankoré was never able to recover its former glory.

The university of Ez-Zitouna is in Tunisia, the Sungkyunkwan university is in South Korea and the Chulalongkorn university is in Thailand.

Answer: Mud

The Great Mosque of Djenné is the largest adobe (mud brick) building in the world. The typical horizontal beams that stick out of the walls serve as a permanent form of scaffolding. Because of the weather-sensitivity of the material, abode buildings require constant maintenance.

The first mosque was built in the 13th century, but has been rebuilt many times since. The modern design dates from 1907. The Great Mosque was recognised as a UNESCO heritage site in 1988.

Answer: Dogon

The Dogon's refusal to convert to Islam meant they had to settle in isolated and easily defensible places. Because of this isolation, they managed to preserve their unique culture from outside influence for centuries. Ironically, tourism is one of the causes why the Dogon society has undergone significant changes in modern times.

The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and the Sami of northern Scandinavia. The Bantu is an ethnic group that lives mainly in central and southern Africa.

Answer: Salt

In the heyday of the trans-Sahara trade route salt, copper and dates from the Sahara and northern Africa were exchanged with products from the savannah, such as slaves, livestock, iron tools, weapons, animal hides, cloth, clay pottery, woven grass products and food. From farther south came gold and kola nuts.

In modern times, the only goods that are routinely transported across the desert are slabs of rock salt brought from the Taoudenni mining centre in central Sahara 664 km (413 mi), north of Timbuktu.

In hot climates like that of Western Africa, many people who rely on a diet consisting mostly on grains and vegetables have to add salt to it. Many West African societies live without refrigeration, so salt is essential for drying and preserving fish and meat.

Salt production has been a major industry in the Sahara Desert since the 12th century.

The salt mine of Taoudenni is a dried out ancient seabed where solid blocks are hacked out of the salt-deposits. After they are removed from the mine, the blocks are cut into large slabs and transported with camels to Timbuktu. There they are purchased by local merchants who transport it down the river Niger to the market of Mopti. There the slabs are cut into smaller pieces and distributed to markets throughout West Africa.