13th century – 13th century
Tlemcen, Sijilmāsa, and Wālata
The Maqqāri family firm was a multigenerational commercial enterprise active across the central Maghrib and the western Sudan in the middle of the thirteenth century. Five brothers coordinated trade from Tlemcen, Sijilmāsa, and Wālata, exchanging northern merchandise for Sudanese goods. The firm relied on market information, distributed goods through local traders, and invested in wells and security along the Sijilmāsa–Taghāza–Wālata route. Its operations exemplify the institutional organization of long-distance Saharan commerce.
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The Story
In the middle of the thirteenth century, five brothers of the Maqqāri family operated a large commercial firm across the Maghrib and the western Sudan. Their locations were distributed strategically: some brothers lived in Tlemcen, two younger members worked in Wālata, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān maintained headquarters in Sijilmāsa. This arrangement connected northern markets with the caravan terminus in Mali.
The firm’s trade moved hides, ivory, kola nuts, and gold northward in exchange for North African and European merchandise. The brothers in Wālata distributed imported goods to local traders and collected Sudanese products for transmission to Tlemcen. From Sijilmāsa, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gathered information on prices in North African and Sudanese markets, allowing the firm to regulate supply and seek favorable profits.
The Maqqāri enterprise also invested in the infrastructure of the desert route. It helped organize the corridor from Sijilmāsa to Wālata through Taghāza, dug wells, and afforded security to traders. The firm’s wealth became so extensive that the narrative says it could scarcely be computed, presenting the family as an example of commercial capital embedded in caravan institutions.
13th century – 13th century
Tlemcen, Sijilmāsa, and Wālata
The Maqqāri family firm was a multigenerational commercial enterprise active across the central Maghrib and the western Sudan in the middle of the thirteenth century. Five brothers coordinated trade from Tlemcen, Sijilmāsa, and Wālata, exchanging northern merchandise for Sudanese goods. The firm relied on market information, distributed goods through local traders, and invested in wells and security along the Sijilmāsa–Taghāza–Wālata route. Its operations exemplify the institutional organization of long-distance Saharan commerce.
Continue exploring
The Story
In the middle of the thirteenth century, five brothers of the Maqqāri family operated a large commercial firm across the Maghrib and the western Sudan. Their locations were distributed strategically: some brothers lived in Tlemcen, two younger members worked in Wālata, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān maintained headquarters in Sijilmāsa. This arrangement connected northern markets with the caravan terminus in Mali.
The firm’s trade moved hides, ivory, kola nuts, and gold northward in exchange for North African and European merchandise. The brothers in Wālata distributed imported goods to local traders and collected Sudanese products for transmission to Tlemcen. From Sijilmāsa, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān gathered information on prices in North African and Sudanese markets, allowing the firm to regulate supply and seek favorable profits.
The Maqqāri enterprise also invested in the infrastructure of the desert route. It helped organize the corridor from Sijilmāsa to Wālata through Taghāza, dug wells, and afforded security to traders. The firm’s wealth became so extensive that the narrative says it could scarcely be computed, presenting the family as an example of commercial capital embedded in caravan institutions.
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