Why Is Mali Considered A Site Of Cultural Exchange In West Africa?

Did you know that Mali was one of the wealthiest civilizations in the world, with Mansa Musa and his approximately 400 billion dollars in money? Mali is located in West Africa, just below the Sahara Desert, and was famous for its riches and cultural significance. During the Empire of Mali, Mali’s fortune and trade attracted travelers to it, making it a “site of cultural exchange”. Additionally, two artifacts were found signifying Mali’s prosperity and cultural association, and finally, Mali’s effect on other parts of the world.

First of all, Mali had a large gold deposit in its boundaries, attracting travellers. According to “Sites of Encounter in the Medieval World: Mali”, “Desire for gold caused merchants to make the difficult journey from the Maghrib and the rest of North Africa across the Sahara Desert to the region of savannah and forest called West Africa. Therefore, Mali became a “site of cultural exchange,” meaning it was a place where products, ideas, and technologies were shared between people from different cultures and parts of the world” (Sites in Medieval World: Mali). I can infer from this that many people traveled to Mali because of gold, a precious metal that was worth a lot. Desire for gold led merchants from North Africa to make the difficult journey against uneven terrain to reach West Africa. Therefore, Mali became a place where products, ideas, and technology was shared between people from different cultures and parts of the world,
The reason of its significance was actually pretty important to knowing Mali’s wealth. You see, horses were not native to West Africa, so the Malian mansas, or rulers, had to import them from the northern part of Africa. Because of the desert and tropical climates in West Africa, it was difficult to care for the horses. This is why the cavalry (soldiers on horseback) of Mali was one of the most expensive and impressive projects Mali had paid