Al-Bakri’s account presents Ghana’s capital as two towns situated in a plain. The Muslim town was large and contained a dozen mosques, including one where residents gathered for Friday prayer. Wells of sweet water supplied drinking water, and vegetables were cultivated nearby, indicating that the urban settlement depended on accessible water and productive garden areas.

The royal town, called al-Ghaba, stood six miles from the Muslim town, with houses covering the space between them. Buildings were made of stone and acacia wood. The king possessed a palace and conical huts enclosed by a wall-like structure, while a mosque near the royal court of justice served Muslims who arrived on missions.

The location of this capital remains debated within the pages. Al-Bakri placed it in Awkar, between Tagant and the Sahel, whereas archaeological research identified Koumbi-Saleh in the Hodh as the most promising candidate for Ghana’s capital. The two-town description therefore provides an urban model associated with Ghana without resolving the exact correspondence between the written account and the archaeological site.