Mali's Copper: The Red Gold of the Sahel
The Mali Empire: The Richest Civilization in History — Fexingo HistoryPlay episode
Show notes
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a less-told story of the Mali Empire: its trade in copper, the red gold of the Sahel. While gold has long captured the imagination, copper was the industrial backbone that connected Mali to the wider world. From the mines of Takedda, where Ibn Battuta witnessed copper being shaped into bars and traded for cloth, to the bustling markets of Timbuktu and Djenne, copper flowed across the Sahara, linking West Africa to North Africa and even Europe. Lucas traces the journey of copper from the desert mines to the hands of Mande artisans, who forged it into jewelry, tools, and weapons. He also explores the political implications: how control of copper routes bolstered the authority of the Mansa, and how copper served as a medium of exchange, alongside gold and salt. Drawing on Ibn Battuta's Rihla and other Arabic sources, Lucas pieces together a vivid picture of a trade network that was as vital as it is overlooked. Tune in for a fresh angle on Mali's economic might, revealing the copper threads that held the empire together. #MaliEmpire #CopperTrade #Takedda #IbnBattuta #Timbuktu #Djenne #Mande #MansaMusa #TransSaharanTrade #WestAfrica #Economics #Sahel #History #FexingoHistory #AfricanHistory #TradeRoutes #Archaeology #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
