(1) Leo Africanus: Description of Timbuktu from The Description of Africa (1526) The name of this kingdom is a modern one, after a city which was built by a king named Mansa Suleyman in the year 610 of the hegira [1232 CE] near twelve miles from a branch of the Niger River. (1) The houses of Timbuktu are huts made of clay- privatenessed wattles with thatched roofs. In the center of the city is a temple built of blaze and mortar, built by an architect named Granata, (2) and in addition in that respect is a large palace, constructed by the same architect, where the king lives. The shops of the artisans, the merchants, and curiously weavers of cotton cloth are rattling numerous. Fabrics are as well imported from Europe to Timbuktu, borne by Berber merchants. (3) The women of the city maintain the customs duty of veiling their faces, except for the slaves who sell all the foodstuffs. The inhabitants are very(prenominal) fertile, especially the strangers who have settled i n the country; so much so that the current king (4) has declaren demon of his daughters in marriage to two br otherwises, both businessmen, on measure of their wealth. There are many wells containing sweet realize in Timbuktu; and in addition, when the Niger is in flood canals deliver the pee to the city. Grain and animals are abundant, so that the consumption of milk and cover is considerable.
But salt is in very short give because it is carried here from Tegaza, some 500 miles from Timbuktu. I happened to be in this city at a time when a onus of salt sold for eighty ducats. The king has a sufficient t reasure of coins and gold ingots. One of the! se ingots weighs 970 pounds. (5) The royal court is smart as a whip and very well organized. When the king goes from one city to other with the people of his court, he rides a camel and the horses are led by hand by servants. If fighting becomes necessary, the servants context the camels and all the soldiers hop on on horseback. When someone wishes to speak to the king, he must shack before him and bow down; but this...If you want to nurture a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com
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