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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Ancient mud-brick city of Timbuktu, the most important center of the Malian Empire. Source: Uolir/Adobe Stock

The Malian Empire and the Richest Man in History (Video)

In 1235 AD, the Malian Empire emerged from the shadows of the fallen Ghanan Empire, its epic origins recounted in the oral tradition of West Africa. Sundiata Keita , the Lion King, plays a central...
Salt mine (representational image). Source:  Paweł Mielko / Adobe Stock.

Salt of the Earth: A Look Inside the Ancient Mines of Mali (Video)

The salt mines of Mali have been in operation for centuries and offer a glimpse into a way of life that has remained largely unchanged for over a thousand years. The miners work tirelessly in the...
Male figure, 14th-17th century and female figure, 13th-–15th century. Source: Sailko/CC BY 3.0 /Musée du quai Branly/CC BY-SA 3.0

Clay Wonders: The Handmade Figurines of Djenne-Djenno

Amidst the vast expanses of the Malian region, there once flourished a remarkable civilization. How do we know? The unique terracotta figurines of Djenne-Djenno give historians a glimpse into the...
The ancient storyteller known as a griot uses their voice, sounds and music to tell stories about the past.  Source: tomalu/AdobeStock

Singer-Storytellers: The Griot Tradition in West Africa

Griots, also known as jeli or bards , are traditional West African storytellers who have played a crucial role in preserving the oral history and cultural heritage of their communities for centuries...
Scanning the Mali manuscripts, which are now under the protection of SAVAMA-DCI, who are digitizing the rescued artifacts. Source: Mali Magic / Google Arts & Culture

Mali Manuscripts Rescued and Digitized to Celebrate the Malian Renaissance

Mali has recently been in the news for its decision to oust French troops from its territory. The French were originally summoned to prevent jihadists from taking control over Africa’s eighth-largest...
Mansa Musa: The Richest Man in History

Mansa Musa: The Richest Man in History

When people think of the richest people in history , more often than not they think of industrialists from the modern era, such as the Rothschilds, the Rockefellers, or the Carnegies. Perhaps some...
Askia the Great, ruler of the Songhai Empire 1493 to 1528, in the Game Civilization V.

Askia the Great: Revolt Leader to Powerful Songhai Emperor

Muhammad I Askia (also known as Askia the Great) was one of the most important emperors of the Songhai Empire. Askia came to power in 1493, when he overthrew the last ruler of the Sunni Dynasty,...
Sundiata Keita, the Lion King of Mali.

Sundiata Keita: The Lion King of Mali

Sundiata Keita was the founder of the Mali Empire and is popularly referred to as the Lion King. Prior to this, Sundiata was the king / chief of a small, obscure Mandinka tribe within the Ghana...
Was the Brazil Tablet left by early Transatlantic explorers?

The Brazil Tablet: Dropped in the Jungle by Early Transatlantic Explorers?

In 1310, Malian explorers led by Mansa (King) Abubakari set sail to discover new lands across the Atlantic. A mysterious statuette was left by these ancient explorers in the Brazilian jungle...
Cliff of Bandiagara

How the Dogon Preserved Their Unique Culture Along The Cliff of Bandiagara Mali

The Cliff of Bandiagara (or Land of the Dogons) in Mali is an outstanding landscape and has earthen architecture that seems to defy the laws of nature and the passing of time. Despite globalization,...
The ruins of Loropeni, a market town in southern Burkina Faso, lying west of Gaoua

Ruins of Loropeni Shed Light on Ancient Gold Trade and Are Thought to Hold More Mysteries

Loropeni is a town located in the southern part of Burkina Faso, near the country’s border with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The town is known for the nearby stone ruins, which was inscribed as a World...
San Lorenzo Colossal Head 1, Olmec culture, Museo de Antropología de Xalapa, Mexico.

6 Discoveries that Show the Pre-Columbian Americas Traded Across the Oceans

Ancient civilizations look ever-more advanced with each passing year as new discoveries continue to showcase just how sophisticated they truly were. Yet, the idea that our ancestors were able to make...
A mausoleum in the northern region of Mali.

Does a Mysterious Manuscript Describe a Forgotten Malian Mausoleum in Brazil?

Almost 300 years ago Brazilian bandits stumbled upon a ruined city. It was such an intriguing site that the city was eventually described in ink. This text became known as Manuscript 512 – a document...
An artist's impression showing how the binary star system of Sirius A and its diminutive blue companion, Sirius B, might appear to an interstellar visitor. Dogon people, Mali.

Did Ancient Aliens Impart Advanced Astronomical Knowledge to the Dogon Tribe?

By Tara MacIsaac , Epoch Times Skeptics and proponents of the ancient aliens theory have faced off for decades on the issue of the Dogon tribe’s allegedly advanced astronomical knowledge. Here’s a...
Anasazi Indian ruins - Mesa Verde,Colorado,USA

Did West Africans live in Four Corners Region of the United States from 12th Century?

William James Veall in Sea-Farers from the Levant: Do Ancient Inscriptions Rewrite History of the Americas? - Part 2, published in Ancient Origins, provides a detailed discussion of the Mande...
Musa depicted holding a gold coin from the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

The Legend of How Mansa Abu Bakr II of Mali Gave up the Throne to Explore the Atlantic Ocean

Mansa (meaning king , emperor or sultan ) Abu Bakr II was a 14th century ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. This period of time, i.e. the 14th century, was a time when the Mali Empire had...
A traditional imzad instrument, made by local craftswomen and played only by women.

Reviving the Music of their Foremothers: A Traditional Tuareg Instrument for Women Makes a Comeback

A traditional stringed gourd instrument of the Tuareg people in Africa, played only by women because of the threat of a curse upon men who play it, is making a comeback. Only two women were known to...
Timbuktu Monunments

Restoring and Rebuilding the Cultural Heritage of Timbuktu

Timbuktu is a town in the West African nation of Mali on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. It was once an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout...