First published 2015
The caravan routes converge at Sijilmasa, where merchants weigh gold dust against salt beneath the desert sun. This African city controls the flow of wealth between ancient Ghana and Mediterranean ports, its independence built on monopolizing the precious metal trade. For two and a half centuries, Sijilmasa commands its own destiny as a city-state. Then the Almoravids arrive, followed by the Almohads, each empire claiming the golden prize. The once-autonomous trading hub becomes absorbed into larger powers, eventually birthing Morocco's Alaouite dynasty. War erupts, the city rebuilds, then faces abandonment as trade routes shift. The desert reclaims what humans built, leaving only ruins beneath modern Rissani. Through archaeological evidence, historical records, and local stories, this chronicle reveals how geography and human ambition shaped four distinct eras of urban life. The rise and fall of this legendary metropolis poses enduring questions about survival on the desert's edge.
Genres: historical-fiction, archaeology, africa, ancient-history
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-clash, historical-saga
Setting: Sijilmasa, Ghana, Mediterranean, Morocco, Rissani
Period: Ancient, Medieval, Pre-Modern
296 pages · Paperback · University of Texas Press