In the present-day nation of Mali, Timbuktu is located at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert and six miles north of the Niger River. It is significant because it was the commercial, religious, and cultural center of the West African empires of Mali and Songhai in the 14th century. At an early period, Timbuktu played an essential role in the spread of Islam in Africa. Timbuktu’s location made it an important market place for negotiating and trading manuscripts. The north side of Timbuktu also offered gold, while in the south it offered cattle and grain. In 1324, the pilgrimage of Milan Emperor of Mansa Musa to Mecca made Timbuktu’s wealth evident to the world. By the 14th century, Timbuktu’s greatest contribution to Islam and world was
