Like Ghana, Mali controlled West African trade. The leaders of Mali set up their capital in Niani. Mali had fair leaders. They created strong trade and farming to help Mali become rich.

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The leaders of Mali also increased trade in the cities along the Niger River. The new leaders of Mali took the proud title mansa, which means emperor.

Many important cities developed and prospered in the Mali Empire. Timbuktu was one of these cities.

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Timbuktu is located at the bend of the Niger River. The people of the desert and the people of the river met at this spot to trade their goods.

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Over the years, Timbuktu grew from a group of tents into a great center for learning and trade. People throughout Asia, Europe and Africa recognized its name.

Timbuktu had many mosques, libraries, and schools.

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The city also had a famous Muslim university.

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Muslim scholars throughout Africa traveled to Timbuktu to study at the university.

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Mosque: a building used for public worship by Muslims​

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At the end of the 1200s, under a Muslim king, Islam and the Muslim holy book, the Koran, became the basis for new laws, the tax system, and education in Mali.

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