Hello! my name is Zayn Abu Talal I'm 20 years old, and I was born Niani, Mali.

This is my wife Zara. We are both Slaves to Mansa Musa. We are forced to walk the hajj as a camel caretaker and carry the gold.

Document A - Giselle

Entry #1-Document A- The Hajj by the numbers (Niani, January 1324, morning)

It’s the day we set on our pilgrimage to the Hajj and I am preparing the camels for this long journey. The air is fresh as the sun is rising from the East. The smell of camel manure and spices are not an aura that blends well together. I am in charge of loading the camels with Gold and treasures that Mansa Musa wants to bring to the Hajj. I am his trustworthy camel handler! The number of travelers seems like a lot and plenty of animals to prove it. This will be a long journey crossing over 4,000 miles to get to our destination. We have about 1,00 camels that have to be cared for as they carry our most valuable belongings, gold. I am to walk in the front of the caravan with the other caretakers following. We will be headed to Walata, a route that will take at least 600 miles to get there. I am scared about my camels getting tired on this journey. I see everyone around me scrambling to make sure they have what they need for this pilgrimage.

Document A Questions  - Giselle

What percentage of Travelers on the Hajj were Mansa Musa’s servants?

The Percentage of servants of Mansa Musa is 20% of the total people on the Hajj.

Why are you going on this journey? What possible benefits may result?

As a devoted Muslim, it is an honor to visit one of the holiest places for Islam. I am devoted to serving Mansa Musa and wherever he shall go, I will follow. The benefits are that I explore the journey that shall take us from Niani to Mecca.

The information may worry you about traveling on the Hajj.

I am afraid of an ambush and that people from each city might rob the Gold and riches that Mansa Musa may possess.

Which of the numbers in this chart might be exaggerations? Explain your thinking.

I think that the number of people on the Hajj is a bit exaggerated as 60,000 is a lot of people to go on this pilgrimage. How will they eat and sleep and build forts to sleep in? They have a lot of people on this journey And only 12,000 servants. It doesn’t make sense to me.

Document B - Giselle

Entry #2-Document B- West Africa Trade (map) Walata, February 1324, Morning

We have arrived in Walata! Finally, we thank Allah for the fresh water to drink! It is truly an oasis here. The caravan is stretched for days, people in front of us and behind us. We have a long journey ahead of us and we must truly rest before this rigorous journey brings my Camels and my fellow travelers weaker.  The trading activity is marvelous as people have so many things to trade. For example, spices, teas, gold, and salt. This city is amazing and we are happy that we could rest before our destination to Taghaza. The desert is going to be extremely harsh as there is no rain, and the water supply is limited especially for this amount of travelers. I am worried about my wife and I not getting enough water. I see people of darker complexion, they must be from Sudan. They have come here from the south to trade Salt in exchange for their goods. My wife Zara and I will sit under this beautiful, tall, palm tree and get some shade, and shut our eyes before we start again. We are enjoying each other on this journey.

Document B Questions - Giselle 

Nani to Walata?- It took 600 miles to travel from Niani to Walata

From Walata to Taghaza? It also took 600 miles from Walata to Taghaza

From Taghaza to Tuwat? It took 250 miles from Taghaza to Tuwat

From Tuwat to Cairo? It took them roughly 2500 miles to get to Cairo from Tuwat

What is your estimate on the time it would take Manasa Musa’s caravan to travel from Miami to Cairo? How did you estimate? It took Mansa Musa’s caravan about 140 days to reach Cairo. I estimated from the notes on the map that states,” Travel time from Walata to Taghaza took 20 days.” So, I calculated the measurement and came up with 140 days to arrive in Cairo from Niani. 

What is your estimate on the time it would take Manasa Musa’s caravan to travel from Niani to Cairo? How did you estimate? It took Mansa Musa’s caravan about 140 days to reach Cairo. I estimated from the notes on the map that states,” Travel time from Walata to Taghaza took 20 days.” So, I calculated the measurement and came up with 140 days to arrive in Cairo from Niani.

What is meant by the statement, “salt was worth its weight in gold”?

What this means is that Salt was worth so much that it was considered Gold. Sudan uses salt for currency as Gold and silver were used elsewhere

Document C - Sarah  

 Journal Entry #3 Document C - Taghaza, March 1324, at Dusk.

Following our long difficult 500-mile road trip North to Taghaza from Walata, after a long trip. We were all sweaty.  Zara and I are making our way to the camp, and we hear a loud grumbling sound in the hajj.  Zara and I look at each other, Fascinated, "Taghaza is literally a town made of salt, however, there are no greens, how did these  people live?" I thought. People say that all the people that live here are slaves of Masufa digging for salt. These people live in an environment with Brackish water, Camel meat, Dates, no trees, and nothing but sand with a salt mine that they use to trade for gold and to get the resources they don't have. It was dusk by the time we got to Taghaza. so we had to set up the camp for everyone to sleep for the night but I thought it was gonna be hard to set up everything on dry sand during the night. 

Document C Questions - Sarah

What does Ibn Battuta think of Taghaza? Why would anyone live there? 

Ibn Battuta thinks that Taghaza is a musty place to live and he thinks that only slaves of Masufa live there, the water is also brackish and not clean.

What reasons might explain why the people of Sudan were willing to trade large qualities of gold for salt? 

The people of Sudan were willing to trade large quantities because to them salt was more valuable and they made most of their recipes with salt. They used their resources

Why would Mansa Musa choose a route to Mecca that took HIm through Taghaza?

Mansa Musa chose a route through Taghaza because he wanted them to deal with quantity upon quantity of gold there.