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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...
Camel caravan. Source: Gaper / Adobe Stock.

The Archaeologist, the Sahara and the Caravan (Video)

In the vast expanse of the Sahara , a retired archaeology professor, Thierry Tillet, embarks on yet another expedition to trace the ancient routes of desert trade caravans . Unlike modern researchers...
Deserted ksar (representational). Source: Tupungato / Adobe Stock.

Mystery of the Desert: The Lost Cities of the Sahara (Video)

Deep within the desolate expanse of the Sahara in Niger , the mystery of lost civilizations becomes tantalizingly tangible in the form of ancient ksars or fortified villages. Located in Fachi, among...
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...
Ancient Koumbi Saleh, a busy center of trade. Source: dasom/Adobe Stock

Gold, Salt, and Islam: The Story of Koumbi Saleh

Koumbi Saleh was one of the most important economic centers in West Africa during its peak around the 9th century. This wealthy trade city was once a hub of economic activity, with trade, agriculture...
A topographic reconstruction from satellite photos of the Richat Structure with false coloring. False coloring as follows: Brown: bedrock; Yellow/white: sand; Green: vegetation; Blue: salty sediments. Source: NASA/JPL/NIMA / Public domain

What Do Astronauts, Atlantis, and Africa Share? The Richat Structure!

Tucked away in Mauritania, surrounded by the imposing, shifting dunes of the Sahara Desert, lies the Richat Structure. A spectacular rock formation of many names, the “Eye of the Sahara” has guided...
As the Earth’s axis tilted towards the Sun, the Green Sahara transitioned to the dry Sahara and still many millions continued to impact this changing ecosystem. Source: appledesign / Adobe Stock

The Sahara As We Know It Today Versus The Green Sahara It Once Was!

The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. Covering over 3.6 million square miles (9.3 million square kilometers), it is more or less equal to the entire United States. However, ten...
Sea Monsters in the Desert? Remains of Cuddly Sea Cow Discovered in Egypt

Sea Monsters in the Desert? Remains of Cuddly Sea Cow Discovered in Egypt

In 2019, a team of scientists excavating in the scorched sands of ancient Egypt, far from the royal burial zone at Saqqara with its mummified animals and birds, uncovered the remains of a giant...
6,000-year-old prehistoric pottery from the Sahara Desert, which was subjected to the new dating technique. Source: Emmanuelle Casanova et al. / University of Bristol / Nature

‘Holy Grail’ Dating Technique Sheds New Light on Prehistoric Past

A new archaeological dating technique has been successfully applied to shards of pottery uncovered from a dig in East London’s Shoreditch. The “groundbreaking” new dating technique analyzes fatty...
Production of salt for the salt trade.

When Salt Was Traded for Gold: The Salt Trade of West Africa that Built Kingdoms and Spread Culture

In West Africa during the Medieval period, salt was traded for gold. This may seem astonishing as salt is a cheap commodity in today’s society. It may be added that salt is easily available today...
13,000-year-old Saharan remains

13,000-year-old Saharan Remains Tell Of First Known Homo Sapiens War In Africa

In 2014, a fresh analysis on a set of human remains dating back 13,000 years, which were found on the east bank of the Nile in northern Sudan , suggested the individuals were victims of an intergroup...
The oldest city, El Atteuf

M'Zab Valley: A Pentapolis That Has Inspired Many Celebrated Architects

M’Zab valley is a deep, oasis located within the Sahara, consisting of five fortified towns 600 km (370 miles) south of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. M’Zab achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in...
The ruins of Timgad.

Timgad: The Wonderfully Preserved Algerian Pompeii

One of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Algeria, Timgad can thank the sands of the Sahara for its survival. It is such a remarkable site to behold that some travelers have even gone so far as to dub...
The interior of a private library in Chinguetti.

From Tradition to Destruction: The Lost Libraries of Chinguetti

During the Middle Ages, Sahara outposts often found themselves filled with travelers, traders, and pilgrims passing through with their differing tasks. The pilgrims in particular interest us here, as...
Tassili n'Ajjer  Rock Art

15,000 artworks over ten millennia reveal the evolution of human life on the edge of the Sahara

Tassili n'Ajjer has been described as the finest prehistoric open-air museum in the world. Set in a vast plateau in the south-east of the Algerian Sahara at the borders of Libya, Niger and Mali, and...
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...