Morocco's Saharan Gold Trade: The Empire That Drove African Commerce

Long before the Alaouites, before the Saadians, before even the Marinids, Morocco's fate was tied to a river of gold flowing north from the depths of West Africa. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the trans-Saharan gold trade that built Morocco's great empires. They trace the origins of the trade to the Ghana Empire and the Sanhaja Berber intermediaries, then follow the gold's journey from the Bambuk and Bure fields through Sijilmasa to the markets of Fez and Marrakech. Along the way, they discuss the Almoravid rise fueled by gold, the role of the Ibadite merchants of Sijilmasa, and the legendary wealth of the Saadian sultan Ahmad al-Mansur al-Dhahabi — 'the Golden.' They also examine the controversial claim that the gold trade led Morocco to invade the Songhai Empire in 1591. This is a story of caravans, kings, and the metal that made Morocco a medieval superpower. #Morocco #GoldTrade #TransSaharanTrade #Sijilmasa #GhanaEmpire #Almoravid #Saadian #Songhai #AhmadAlMansur #Bambuk #Sanhaja #Ibadite #Fez #Marrakech #NorthAfrica #WestAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo