The Growth Of Trade Between Africa - 1037 Words

The growth of trade between Africa, Asia and Europe influenced a very important religion. The location of the Islamic world was ideal for trade, it lay between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. Muslims traveled by land and sea, creating a network of trade. A Muslim scholar named Ibn Battuta traveled around Europe, Africa and Asia for about 7 years. Ibn Battuta traveled all around West Africa, Europe and Asia. The goods they traded were silk, paper, dishes, spices, gems and coconuts. By A.D. 1000, Islam had the world’s largest cities outside of China. One of the biggest trade networks ever recorded is the Gold-Salt trade. There are 3 stages to the spread of Islam in West Africa; containment, mixing, and reform. Most of the†¦show more content†¦The Trans-Saharan caravan routes began in North Africa along the Northwestern border of the Sahara. In 1352, a Muslim named Ibn Battuta crossed the Sahara with a trade caravan. Battuta’s caravan began at the Oasis city of Sijilmasa, on the northern edge of the Sahara in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Battuta stayed in the Sijilmasa for a few months, waiting for the rainy season to end. When the Oasis’s were full, the traders set out. They traveled from Oasis to Oasis. Walking across the desert was dangerous, one time during the trip the traders could not find water so they slaughtered there camels and drank there water. The caravan stopped at Taghaza, a village where salt mines were located. They took on a load of salt. There entire journey took about 2 months (Frey, History Alive). The traders used to just trade between settlements when trade was hard. After a while the traders gained new methods of travel and this helped them carry more supplies across the Sahara. The first traders traded Yams, Mahogany and Grains. The new ones traded Silk, Paper, Dishes, Spices, Gems and Coconuts. By A.D. 1000, Islam had the world’s largest cities outside of China. One of the most famous cities is Timbuktu. â€Å"Timbuktu is one of the oldest cities in the Islamic world to have more than 1 universities† (afrolegends.com). Sijilmasa is one of the