Trade routes across the Sahara Desert connected the Mali Empire to Europe and the Middle East. Timbuktu, home to the famous Sankore University, was also an important cultural center. Why did Mali ...

Mansa Musa ruled for the next 25 years and used Mali's military might to control the trade routes of the Sahara and the Niger River, greatly expanding the wealth and power of the empire.

But the wealthiest of them all is believed to be Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire. ... which includes pages depicting the vast trade routes near and through the Sahara.

The Empire of Mali managed to control the gold-bearing regions of Galam, Bambuk, and Bure, which are all located in Mali. How did Mali make its money? Ancient Mali was essentially a trade nation, ...