It was a scorching hot morning in 1324, when a young Muslim scholar named Khalifa set off on a pilgrimage to Mecca with his friend Muhammad. They had to travel through the dry Sahara desert which stretched out more than 3.5 million square miles. Due to the harsh desert environment, travel across the Sahara was challenging. This affected the growth of the Ghana and Mali empires as well as the trade networks that connected them with Afroeurasia. West Africa's communication with the north was also limited. Farming communities developed in the grasslands south of the Sahara and was known as the Sahel. The Senegal and the Niger River helped keep the land fertile. The rivers provided fish and served as trade routes. Even though travel across the Sahara was tough, people were still able to trade and travel thanks to the trans-Saharan caravan trade which helped major medieval kingdoms grow such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.

Later that day, Khalifa and Muhammad's large caravan group stopped at an oasis to to get water for their camels and horses. Khalifa and Muhammad traveled in a large caravan with over 60,000 travelers which consisted of Ferbas, Griots, soldiers, slaves, and Muslim scholars. First, Ferbas oversaw the day-to-day government and were chosen by the king. Second, Griots were story tellers that had to serve as a living memory for a village, individual, or clan. Third, soldiers helped protect the caravan and provide safety. Lastly, Muslim scholars gave advice and recorded their observations of their journey. Khalifa's friend Muhammad was a soldier who was drafted at a very young age. Khalifa was a Muslim scholar who went on the journey to record what he experienced. He was very nervous and insecure because he had to leave his family in order to go on the journey since his parents had to work. This combined with the fact that this was his first journey made Khalifa worry.

Yummy!

That night, Khalifa and Muhammad's caravan set up camp at BNY, the capital of Mali. The town was an extensive place with cultivated land fed by running water. It had busy markets and was a station for trading caravans. Khalifa set up his tent and went to sleep not knowing that Muhammad didn't have a tent and slept outside leaving him exposed to the wild life.

NOOOO!

When Khalifa woke up, he realized his friend had disappeared and was immediately filled with grief. He was feeling homesick and now he lost his one and only friend. In an attempt to calm himself down, Khalifa decided to take a walk through the town to clear his mind.