Congrats!! You’ve just won a trip to……. Timbuktu! Start the tour! Well, Hello there! I’m Maurice, your tour guide through the Sahara desert! Follow me to learn all about what made Mali such a thriving empire. At each stop you will learn about this ancient culture of Mali and collect souvenirs. Remember to pay attention, you can’t get the souvenir, if you don’t know the info. Created by Amy Bolvari

Let’s start in Egypt! Do you remember where Egypt is? Think back to second grade…and click on Egypt!

Way to go! Now let’s head on over to Mali! Click the right path!

Click Me for Help!! OOPS! Try Again!!

Click me to try again!

Welcome to Mali!! First stop is Gao for some good old fashioned storytelling. Click the picture of the storyteller to learn more.

Did you know that storytellers in Mali were an important part of their culture? They had special names called Griots. Click on the storyteller below to watch a video. Listen carefully to why they were important. When you are done with the video, click me to head over to the souvenir shop to test your knowledge.

Get me out of here!!!!

Way to go! Now let’s head on over to Mali! Click the right path! Click Me for Help!!

Click me to try again!

Welcome to the souvenir shop!!! After each lesson, you’ll get to answer a question about what you learned. If you choose correctly, you get to take the souvenir! So pay attention and think carefully! Click on the banner above to get started! Souvenirs

Why were the storytellers so important in Mali? Because they entertained people. Because they passed on stories and traditions from generation to generation. Because they were the smartest people.

Souvenirs A story teller in Ancient Mali was called a Griot!! Click on the shopkeeper to add the doll to your bag! Way to go, now we are ready to move on next stop! Click on Maurice to move on.

Souvenirs Storytellers CAN be entertaining in our culture. But in Ancient cultures they were important for other reasons. Need help? Click the Story Teller to watch the video again. Go Back

Souvenirs Storytellers were smart, but not necessarily the smartest people. Need help? Click the Story Teller to watch the video again. Go Back

Okay smart travelers, we are ready for our next stop! Timbuktu (Tombouctou)!!! Click on the ancient manuscript to learn more!

Timbuktu was important city in Ancient Mali! Not only was is a trade center, but it also had a large university. The university had a large library that contained Greek and Roman books. Click on the scroll to read more about Timbuktu! To the souvenir shop!

Souvenirs Why was Timbuktu such an important city? Because it was a trade center, had a famous university with a large library. Because it was on the Niger River. Because it had large buildings.

Souvenirs Timbuktu was a trade center. It also had the university that had a large library with books from Greece and Rome. Click on the shopkeeper to add the stamp to your bag! Way to go, now we are ready to move on to the next our next stop. Click on Maurice to move on.

Souvenirs Timbuktu is on the Niger River, but that’s not what makes it important. Need help? Click on the book to go read again. Go Back

Souvenirs It’s true that Timbuktu had large buildings like the Mosque and the University. But that’s not why it’s important. Need help? Click on the book to go read again. Go Back

Wow, we are really moving along! Our next stop is Mopti. Click on the gold bar to learn about important trading.

Mali lay across the trade routes between the sources of salt in the Sahara Desert and the gold region/mines of West Africa. For the people of the desert, salt was a valuable natural resource. People used salt for their health and for preserving foods. Miners found gold in Western Africa. Therefore, salt was traded for gold. To the souvenir shop!

Souvenirs What made Ancient Mali such a wealthy empire? They sold books to Greece and Rome. They traded salt for gold. They made their own money.

Souvenirs They did trade salt for gold. Many wealthy cities needed the salt that Mali had, so they were able to establish trade routes. Click on the shopkeeper to add the gold bar to your bag! You are such a smartie! Wow, you’ve really learned a lot about Mali! Now it’s time to pack up your souvenirs and head home! Click on Maurice!

Souvenirs The people of Mali didn’t make their own money. They like to trade. Need help? Click on the salt shaker to go read again. Go Back

Souvenirs Remember that Greece and Rome gave books to the University library in Timbuktu! Need help? Click on the salt shaker to go read again. Go Back

Start Trip Over!