VIIᵉ siècle – XIIᵉ siècle
Western Sahara and Western Sudan
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Ghana–Sijilmasa caravan route connected the trading centre of Awdaghust with Sijilmasa, the major caravan port of the Tafilalet in southern Morocco. It formed part of the western trans-Saharan network operated especially by Sanhaja and Lamtuna Berbers. The extract identifies this corridor as a link between the Western Sudan and the northern Maghrib.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Awdaghust became a trading centre in the western Sahara and was later dominated by the Lamtuna. During the ninth and tenth centuries it was inhabited by Berbers from the region, black populations, and traders from the north. Its position connected the southern desert approaches with the commercial networks of the Sudan.
A road linked Awdaghust to Sijilmasa, the great caravan port of the Tafilalet in southern Morocco. This connection placed the western Sudan within a larger system of desert exchange involving Sanhaja and other Berber groups. The route should be understood as a corridor of commerce and population movement rather than as a single permanently fixed track.
The route’s importance derived from the interaction of desert mobility, caravan organization, and established market centres. Awdaghust served as the southern node described in this extract, while Sijilmasa provided access to the Maghribi and Mediterranean-oriented economies. The corridor illustrates the close relationship between Saharan peoples and the Sudanese societies south of the desert.
VIIᵉ siècle – XIIᵉ siècle
Western Sahara and Western Sudan
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The Ghana–Sijilmasa caravan route connected the trading centre of Awdaghust with Sijilmasa, the major caravan port of the Tafilalet in southern Morocco. It formed part of the western trans-Saharan network operated especially by Sanhaja and Lamtuna Berbers. The extract identifies this corridor as a link between the Western Sudan and the northern Maghrib.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
Awdaghust became a trading centre in the western Sahara and was later dominated by the Lamtuna. During the ninth and tenth centuries it was inhabited by Berbers from the region, black populations, and traders from the north. Its position connected the southern desert approaches with the commercial networks of the Sudan.
A road linked Awdaghust to Sijilmasa, the great caravan port of the Tafilalet in southern Morocco. This connection placed the western Sudan within a larger system of desert exchange involving Sanhaja and other Berber groups. The route should be understood as a corridor of commerce and population movement rather than as a single permanently fixed track.
The route’s importance derived from the interaction of desert mobility, caravan organization, and established market centres. Awdaghust served as the southern node described in this extract, while Sijilmasa provided access to the Maghribi and Mediterranean-oriented economies. The corridor illustrates the close relationship between Saharan peoples and the Sudanese societies south of the desert.