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The westernmost region of Africa which forms the watershed of the great rivers of the Senegal, the Volta and the Niger, is home to one of the world's oldest surviving building traditions, called the ‘Sudano-Sahelian’ architecture.
6 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.

3 months ago 27 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.

3 months ago 27 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.

3 months ago 40 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.

3 months ago 41 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.

4 months ago 33 votes

More in history

How Important was the French Revolution?

How Important was the French Revolution? JamesHoare Thu, 08/07/2025 - 08:38

22 hours ago 3 votes
The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche, 1923

The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche And Child Life in Town and Country (1909) is a collection of short stories set in the 1400s by French writer and Noel Laureate Anatole France (1844 – 1924). The 1923 edition contains illustrations from woodcuts by the British artist Marcia Lane Foster (1897-1983) and endpapers by Aubrey Beardsley. … Continue reading "The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche, 1923" The post The Merrie Tales of Jacques Tournebroche, 1923 appeared first on Flashbak.

10 hours ago 2 votes
How Do Hestia and Vesta Differ in Greek and Roman Mythology?

Almost every famous Greek God or Goddess has a Roman counterpart, many of whom were used to name the planets in our solar system, like Jupiter (Zeus) and Neptune (Poseidon). The Romans adopted much of Ancient Greek religion, renaming deities while retaining their core attributes and characteristics. Hestia and Vesta are two such goddesses, residing […]

20 hours ago 2 votes
Logan Airport Versus Neptune Road, Photographing Boston’s ‘War’ of 1973

“I look at these photographs and feel the overwhelming sensation of the noise of these low-flying aircraft. Yet I could leave what seemed like a war zone. And it was a kind of war, long-time residents trying for normalcy and the powers that be wanting them out.” – Michael Philip Manheim on Logan Airport, Boston, … Continue reading "Logan Airport Versus Neptune Road, Photographing Boston’s ‘War’ of 1973" The post Logan Airport Versus Neptune Road, Photographing Boston’s ‘War’ of 1973 appeared first on Flashbak.

2 days ago 3 votes
The Art of Deception: How WWII Was Won With Trickery

In 1939, World War II erupted in Europe. This war, mechanized with tanks, trucks, and fighter planes, was faster and more mobile than any previous conflict. To gain an advantage over similarly matched rivals, both the Allied and Axis powers added a significant new element to their war strategy: deception. Spies, saboteurs, special forces, […]

2 days ago 2 votes