Timbuktu was founded around 1100 ce. in Mali, a country in West Africa. It is located on the edge of the Sahara and eight miles north of the Niger River. The climate is torrid from February to June, humid and mild from June to November, and cool from November to February. It is currently listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site since 1988 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger since 2012. Timbuktu is well-known for its role in trade, education, and mythical tales.
Timbuktu was founded by Taureg nomads around 1100 ce. The Tauregs were nomads who lived in North and West Africa. They raised cattle and camels and lived in the deserts, steppe, and savanna. The Taureg would travel from one place to the next to find pastures for their cattle during the wet season and would stay near the Niger River during the dry season. The city got its name from Tomboutou, an elderly woman that…show more content… Timbuktu was at the location where the Niger River flowed northward into the Sahara Desert. This was also the location in which merchants unloaded goods from camels onto riverboats. Also due to its location, Timbuktu had salt imported from the northern Tegaza and Taoudenit mines and gold from the southern Boure and Banbuk mines. Goods from the Mediterranean Sea would be traded in Timbuktu for gold and salt. Merchants who did not speak the same language were able to trade in a process called silent trade. Silent trade was a process in which one trader would leave his goods on the ground and wait until another trader came along, inspected the goods, and placed an offering for them. The first trader would decide if the goods offered were equal, and if not, the second trader would adjust the amount. The transaction would be complete when the first trader accepts the payment and when the second trader would take the original