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While West Africa has been part of the Muslim world since the late Middle Ages, as famously demonstrated by the golden pilgrimage of Mali's Mansa Musa in 1324, Islam had only arrived in the region at the close of the 1st millennium.
5 months ago

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More from African History Extra

Stone towns on the Highveld of South Africa: an archaeological history of the Sotho-Tswana capitals (ca. 1450-1850)

The eastern plateau of South Africa, known as the Highveld, is dotted with the ruins of numerous stone towns founded at the end of the Middle Ages.

a month ago 17 votes
The currencies and monetary systems of pre-colonial Africa

A bewildering variety of currencies circulated freely in the various states and societies of Africa during the pre-colonial period.

2 months ago 15 votes
A forgotten African empire: the history of medieval Kānem (ca. 800-1472)

A century before Mansa Musa’s famous pilgrimage, the political and cultural landscape of medieval West Africa was dominated by the empire of Kānem.

2 months ago 27 votes
Online resources for African history: links to African collections held at 33 Western Museums

Up to 90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s material cultural legacy is kept outside of the continent, according to a French government-commissioned 2018 report by Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Bénédicte Savoy.

2 months ago 27 votes
What did they write about? : An intellectual history of Timbuktu ca. 1450-1900.

No single body of primary sources in the literary heritage of West Africa has attracted as much attention and attained as much celebrity as the fabled manuscripts of Timbuktu.

2 months ago 24 votes

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Plato’s Last Word to Dionysius

Plato’s Last Word to Dionysius JamesHoare Tue, 07/01/2025 - 08:00

13 hours ago 1 votes
What Was the Impact of the Silk Road Sogdians?

They may be largely unknown in the modern world but in their time the Sogdians were exceptionally influential. The Sogdians were an Iranian-speaking people who originated from Central Asia (modern-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) and were at the center of the Silk Road trade. Their rich, vibrant culture which abounded in Sogdian towns along trade […]

10 hours ago 1 votes
From Dusk Til Dawn: 29 Found Photos Taken In Changing Light

We grow accustomed to the Dark — When Light is put away — As when the Neighbor holds the Lamp To witness her Good bye — Emily Dickinson  They say that the glow of the sky you see at night isn’t starlight but leftover light from the Big Bang. Light is ancient and magical. Away … Continue reading "From Dusk Til Dawn: 29 Found Photos Taken In Changing Light" The post From Dusk Til Dawn: 29 Found Photos Taken In Changing Light appeared first on Flashbak.

4 hours ago 1 votes
Who Were King Arthur’s Legendary Wives?

In the Arthurian legends, the wife of King Arthur is famously named Guinevere. However, the idea that King Arthur only had a single wife is not something that is seen in Welsh tradition. In fact, even some Latin texts refer to him having multiple wives. In any case, Welsh tradition tends to preserve the […]

8 hours ago 1 votes
Volcanoes in the Ancient World

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yesterday 2 votes