Koumbi Saleh was the capital of the Ghana Empire. It lies in what is now south east Mauritania.
In the eleventh century, it has a population of about 30,000, making it one of the largest on the continent. It consisted of two centres. The northern centre was known for its twelve mosques, while the southern, known as al-Ghala, was home to the royal palace surrounded by a small, planned settlement. Residential suburbs lay between the two centres. The city was later abandoned.
In the eleventh century, KumbiSaleh is described as two separate towns, one distinctly Islamic, containing many mosques.
Although considered the permanent capital of the Ghana empire by some, KumbiSaleh's significance may have been more intermittent as the locus of political power shifted from one site to another.
Audaghost, an important Berber trading center and rival of KumbiSaleh, is captured by the Ghana empire.
Kumbi Salah is not on the main track, you will need a good 4WD and an even better guide in order to arrive here,- far out into the sand dunes.
Kumbi Salah did once have as much as 30,000 inhabitants, and was the capital of the empire of Ghana.
There is more to be done in the field of archaeology, but impressive stone quarters have been revealed, as well as one out of the 12 enormous mosques that Kumbi Salah had in its heyday.
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