Sijilmasa

Sijilmasa was a medieval city in southeastern Morocco, founded in the eighth century. It became a major trans-Saharan trading center linking North Africa with West Africa.

Trans-Saharan trade: A network of caravan routes that connected North Africa with regions south of the Sahara. Sijilmasa was a northern gateway for caravans crossing the Sahara.
Caravan: A group of people and animals traveling together, especially across deserts or other difficult terrain. Caravans carried merchandise and travelers between Sijilmasa and distant Saharan markets.
Midrarid dynasty: A dynasty that ruled Sijilmasa and the surrounding region from the eighth to tenth centuries. The Midrarids established Sijilmasa as the center of an independent regional polity.
Marrakesh: A Moroccan city founded in the eleventh century that became a major imperial capital. Marrakesh's rise under the Almoravids shifted political and commercial attention within Morocco.
Gold trade in the Sahara: The exchange of West African gold through Saharan routes to North African and Mediterranean markets. Gold moving north helped make Sijilmasa a wealthy commercial hub.
Dromedary: A one-humped camel adapted to hot, arid environments and commonly used for transport. Dromedaries made the long desert journeys from Sijilmasa practicable.
Kharijism: An early Islamic movement whose adherents rejected the exclusive political authority of the caliphs. Kharijite communities shaped the political and religious setting in which Sijilmasa arose.
Fez: A Moroccan city founded in the eighth century that became a major center of scholarship, craft, and trade. Fez and Sijilmasa connected inland Moroccan commerce with distinct regional routes.
Salt in the Sahara: A mineral traded across the Sahara, especially from desert deposits to communities farther south. Salt was among the important commodities carried through Sijilmasa's caravan economy.
Tafilalt: An oasis region in southeastern Morocco, centered on the Ziz River valley. Sijilmasa occupied the Tafilalt oasis, where water and cultivation supported urban life.

Linked from 7 pages