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Desert Empires (2020)

45 min   |   Language   |  Producer  Director Zeinab Badawi

 We hear from Africans about how trans-Saharan trade, mainly in gold, meant that by about the 7th century rich kingdoms became established in West Africa.  These eventually gave rise to three of the greatest empires on the continent, including the Mali Empire which began in the 13th century.

Mali’s ruler Mansa Musa was reputedly the wealthiest individual to have ever lived.