Timbuktu (Timbuctoo) is a city in Mali, West Africa which was an important trade centre of the Mali Empire which flourished between the 13th and 15th centuries. The city, founded c. 1100, gained wealth from access to and control of the trade routes which connected the central portion of the Niger River with the Sahara and North Africa.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 1100Timbuktu in West Africa is founded by Tuaregs.
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1240 - 1645The Mali Empire rules in West Africa.
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c. 1352The Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta visits the Mali Empire, including Timbuktu.
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c. 1460 - c. 1591The Songhai Empire dominates the West African savannah.
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1469King Sunni Ali of the Songhai Empire takes control of Timbuktu.
