Place · region

Sahara

Also known as Saharan

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, covering most of northern Africa from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Trans-Saharan caravan routes carried gold, salt, slaves, textiles and ideas between North Africa and West Africa, sustaining empires on both sides of the desert. It is central to the profiles of the Garamantian, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Kanem-Bornu and Almoravid empires, among many others.

Sahara
Image: Project Apollo Archive · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 26 profiles

Almohad CaliphateSocioeconomy, DeclineAlmoravid EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, DeclineAshanti EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactBenin EmpireImpactFrench EmpireDeclineGaramantian EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, ImpactGhana EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, ImpactJolof EmpireSocioeconomy, Military, ImpactKaabu EmpireImpactKanem-Bornu EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, Decline, SummaryKongo EmpireImpact, SummaryKushite EmpireSummaryMali EmpireSocioeconomy, ImpactOyo EmpireSocioeconomyPortuguese EmpireFoundationSokoto CaliphateSocioeconomy, ImpactSonghai EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Impact, DeclineWadai EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Impact, SummaryHafsid SultanateSocioeconomy, SummarySaadi SultanateFoundation, MilitaryRegency of AlgiersGovernanceFrench AlgeriaSocioeconomy, ImpactHausa kingdomsSocioeconomy, SummaryFrench West AfricaSocioeconomyArabicSpeakersIslamSpread

Mentioned in 19 state histories

Leptis MagnaNasamonesRustamid imamateKingdom of TakrurSulaymanid emirateMzab confederationZayyanid Kingdom of TlemcenSultanate of TouggourtPashalik of TimbuktuAwlad Mbarak emirateSharifate of TazeroualtDerdeship of Tibestiand 7 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sahara. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sahara
MLA
“Sahara.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sahara. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sahara.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sahara.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sahara’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/sahara (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻