393:. The main section of the town was on the east bank and extended for 1 km by 200 m. A central section covering an area of 200 m by 100 m was built on a small island while the third section extended for 500 m by 200 m on the west bank. Associated with the town are number of cemeteries. In a cemetery lying to the southwest of the town, tombstones have been discovered that have Arabic epigraphs with 11th century dates. Rock faces on either side of the valley contain
338:...across the desert plain to Tādmakka, which of all the towns in the world is the one that resembles Mecca the most. Its name means "Mecca-like". It is a large town amidst the mountains and ravines and is better built than Ghāna or Kawkaw . The inhabitants of Tādmakka are Muslim Berbers who veil themselves as Berbers of the desert do. They live on meat as well as on grain which the earth produces without being tilled. Sorghum and other grains are imported for them from the land of the Sūdān.
55:
195:
1026:
127:
409:(16 ft × 16 ft) area was excavated to a depth of 6.5 m (21 ft) before undisturbed soil was reached. A series of 12 radiometric dates were obtained from carbon containing material. The four samples from the deepest levels produced a range of dates centred on middle of the 8th century while samples from the top levels gave 12th and 14th century dates.
1094:
62:
256:
The commune is very large in area but sparsely populated. The 2009 census recorded only 2,383 people in an area of approximately 25,000 km. The village of Essouk has only a small permanent population. The rainfall is too low for rain-fed agriculture and almost all the population in the area are
408:
Archaeological excavations were carried out between
January and March in 2005 by a team led by Sam Nixon. Of the three areas of the town investigated, the most complete stratigraphic sequence was obtained at a location opposite the island on the eastern side of the wadi. A 5 m × 5 m
512:
1014:
366:
pointed out that
Tadmekka would have been a Muslim town well before this date and speculated that al-Zuhri may have been referring to the conversion of the population from the
514:
Programme de renforcement des capacités nationales pour une gestion stratégique du développement (PRECAGED): Schéma d'aménagement et de développement du Cercle de Kidal
935:
Nixon, Sam; Murray, M.A.; Fuller, D.Q. (2011), "Plant use at an early
Islamic merchant town in the West African Sahel: the archaeobotany of Essouk-Tadmakka (Mali)",
320:("The Picture of the Earth" ), written in three successive versions between 967 and 988. However the first detailed account of the town was written by the
1007:
330:
992:
518:
389:
The medieval town was spread in a north–south direction between two chains of rocky hills that run parallel to each other on either side of a
1000:
430:, was originally from Essouk. Essouk is also an important archaeological site, featuring rock carvings more than eight thousand years old.
861:. Link is to a scan on the Persée database that omits some photographs of the epigraphs. Page 90 contains a map of the archaeological site.
249:) lie 2 km northeast of the present village. Between the 9th and the 15th centuries Tadmekka served as an important entrepôt for the
539:
277:. Its ruins stretch over a kilometre within the Essouk valley. The town prospered between the 9th and 15th centuries as an important
1234:
820:
801:
783:
89:
972:
865:
Nixon, Sam (2009), "Excavating Essouk-Tadmakka (Mali): new archaeological investigations of early
Islamic trans-Saharan trade",
198:
Trade routes of the
Western Sahara c. 1000–1500. Essouk is shown as Tadmekka. Goldfields are indicated by light brown shading.
903:"Local Landscapes and Constructions of World Space: Medieval Inscriptions, Cognitive Dissonance, and the Course of the Niger"
347:
841:
517:(in French), République du Mali: Ministère de l'économie programme des nations unies et des finances, 2002, archived from
464:
974:
Excavations at Essouk-Tadmakka (Republic of Mali): new archaeological investigations of Early
Islamic trans-Saharan trade
54:
416:
civilization". The annual
Saharan Nights festival showcases traditional Tuareg music as well as featuring various
832:
Tableau géographique de l'ouest africain au moyen age, d'après les sources écrites, la tradition et l'archéologie
763:
296:
While
Timbuktu was almost unknown before the 13th century, Tadmakka was first recorded in Arabic texts in the
842:"The oldest extant writing of West Africa: medieval epigraphs from Essuk, Saney, and Egef-n-Tawaqqast (Mali)"
547:(in French), Commissariat à la Sécurité Alimentaire, République du Mali, USAID-Mali, 2007, archived from
289:
journey. For caravans travelling south, the town served as the last stopping place before entering the
773:
282:
250:
185:
952:
882:
1050:
498:
covers an area of 25,617 km but precise boundaries have not been established for the three
1190:
816:
797:
779:
232:
548:
1179:
1030:
944:
914:
874:
853:
499:
363:
216:
194:
40:
628:
1239:
1147:
151:
139:
978:
568:
442:
423:
378:. Traders in Tadmekka would have had commercial links with North African towns such as
290:
1228:
1175:
956:
886:
413:
286:
472:(in French), République de Mali: Institut National de la Statistique, archived from
273:
in the desert heartland of the Malian Tuareg, and 45 km from the nearest town,
1104:
495:
355:
309:
301:
297:
285:—a place where they could prepare for, or recover from, the hardest stretch of the
220:
156:
144:
729:
1212:
1208:
1072:
1068:
1062:
1058:
757:
417:
375:
278:
258:
473:
1202:
1198:
948:
878:
394:
351:
343:
321:
313:
104:
91:
176:
857:
1169:
1165:
1159:
1155:
1082:
1078:
919:
427:
402:
325:
270:
1093:
834:(in French), Dakar: Institut français d'Afrique Noire, pp. 487–488
775:
West
African Early Towns: Archaeology of Households in Urban Landscapes
383:
1126:
1122:
977:, University College London, Institute of Archaeology, archived from
503:
439:
405:
scripts. Some of the Arabic inscriptions include 11th century dates.
379:
371:
359:
240:
206:
181:
358:
in a war against
Tadmekka in 1083-4 and as a result Tadmekka became
1116:
1112:
1042:
687:
685:
507:
398:
367:
274:
228:
193:
902:
1025:
390:
224:
132:
75:
996:
541:
Plan de Securite Alimentaire Commune Rurale de Essouk 2007-2011
445:
Tentative List on September 8, 1999, in the Cultural category.
350:, writing in the middle of the 12th century, reported that the
305:
623:, p. 65. A translation into French is available online:
1092:
811:
Levtzion, Nehemia; Hopkins, John F.P., eds. (2000) ,
734:(in French), UNESCO – World Heritage Convention, 1999
679:, pp. 487–488. Page 488 has a plan of the ruins.
312:
states. The earliest mention to Tadmakka is found in
1189:
1146:
1103:
1049:
175:
167:
162:
150:
138:
120:
24:
907:Afriques. Débats, Méthodes et Terrains d'Histoire
466:Resultats Provisoires RGPH 2009 (Région de Kidal)
397:as well as inscriptions written using either the
664:
640:
620:
596:
813:Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West Africa
412:It is sometimes referred to as the "cradle of
1008:
691:
269:Tadmakka lies some 500 km north-east of
8:
244:
210:
29:
778:, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press,
227:. The village lies 45 km northwest of
1015:
1001:
993:
807:. Reprinted by Holmes & Meier in 1980.
492:Plan de Securite Alimentaire Commune Rural
235:massif. The ruins of the medieval town of
21:
918:
901:Moraes Farias, Paulo Fernando de (2010),
867:Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa
459:
457:
438:The archaeological site was added to the
19:Commune and village in Kidal Region, Mali
652:
624:
584:
759:Description de l'Afrique septentrionale
453:
174:
161:
119:
84:
47:
731:World Heritage Tentative List: Es-souk
564:
562:
715:
703:
676:
166:
149:
137:
7:
937:Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
766:, trans. and ed., Algers: A. Jourdan
608:
386:where there were Ibadi communities.
308:, the first historically documented
840:Moraes Farias, Paulo F. de (1990),
370:form of Islam to the more orthodox
245:
211:
30:
1031:Communes and towns of Kidal Region
506:, Essouk and the Urban commune of
14:
815:, New York: Marcus Weiner Press,
1024:
426:holds that Boctou, foundress of
125:
60:
53:
61:
1:
494:but appears to be too large.
334:which he completed in 1068:
667:, pp. 94, 389 note 25.
665:Levtzion & Hopkins 2000
641:Levtzion & Hopkins 2000
621:Levtzion & Hopkins 2000
597:Levtzion & Hopkins 2000
215: : "the market") is a
16:Commune and village in Mali
1256:
792:Levtzion, Nehemia (1973),
490:This area is given in the
1090:
1037:
949:10.1007/s00334-010-0279-6
879:10.1080/00671990903047595
331:Book of Routes and Realms
324:historian and geographer
219:and small village in the
85:
48:
38:
1235:Communes of Kidal Region
846:Journal des Africanistes
830:Mauny, Raymond (1961),
772:Holl, Augustin (2006),
655:, pp. 45, 136–137.
300:, linked to trade with
1097:
858:10.3406/jafr.1990.2452
794:Ancient Ghana and Mali
340:
199:
1096:
434:World Heritage Status
336:
197:
920:10.4000/afriques.896
718:, pp. 231, 236.
796:, London: Methuen,
764:Mac Guckin de Slane
502:within the cercle:
251:trans-Saharan trade
101: /
1098:
756:El-Bekri (1913) ,
694:, pp. 91–105.
692:Moraes Farias 1990
318:Kitab Surat al-ard
200:
168: • Total
1222:
1221:
1191:Tin-Essako Cercle
643:, pp. 98–99.
573:World Archaeology
362:. The historian
233:Adrar des Ifoghas
192:
191:
105:18.750°N 1.1750°E
1247:
1029:
1028:
1017:
1010:
1003:
994:
988:
987:
986:
959:
930:
929:
927:
922:
889:
860:
835:
825:
806:
788:
767:
744:
742:
741:
739:
725:
719:
713:
707:
701:
695:
689:
680:
674:
668:
662:
656:
650:
644:
638:
632:
618:
612:
606:
600:
594:
588:
582:
576:
566:
557:
555:
553:
546:
536:
530:
528:
527:
526:
488:
482:
480:
478:
471:
461:
364:Nehemia Levtzion
248:
247:
214:
213:
131:
129:
128:
116:
115:
113:
112:
111:
106:
102:
99:
98:
97:
94:
74:Location within
64:
63:
57:
33:
32:
22:
1255:
1254:
1250:
1249:
1248:
1246:
1245:
1244:
1225:
1224:
1223:
1218:
1185:
1148:Tessalit Cercle
1142:
1099:
1088:
1051:Abeibara Cercle
1045:
1033:
1023:
1021:
984:
982:
970:
967:
934:
925:
923:
900:
897:
895:Further reading
864:
839:
829:
823:
810:
804:
791:
786:
771:
755:
752:
747:
737:
735:
728:
726:
722:
714:
710:
702:
698:
690:
683:
675:
671:
663:
659:
651:
647:
639:
635:
619:
615:
607:
603:
595:
591:
583:
579:
567:
560:
551:
544:
538:
537:
533:
524:
522:
511:
489:
485:
476:
469:
463:
462:
455:
451:
436:
267:
126:
124:
109:
107:
103:
100:
95:
92:
90:
88:
87:
81:
80:
79:
78:
72:
71:
70:
69:
65:
44:
34:
27:
20:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1253:
1251:
1243:
1242:
1237:
1227:
1226:
1220:
1219:
1217:
1216:
1206:
1195:
1193:
1187:
1186:
1184:
1183:
1173:
1163:
1152:
1150:
1144:
1143:
1141:
1140:
1130:
1120:
1109:
1107:
1101:
1100:
1091:
1089:
1087:
1086:
1076:
1066:
1055:
1053:
1047:
1046:
1038:
1035:
1034:
1022:
1020:
1019:
1012:
1005:
997:
991:
990:
966:
965:External links
963:
962:
961:
943:(3): 223–239,
932:
896:
893:
892:
891:
873:(2): 217–244,
862:
837:
827:
821:
808:
802:
789:
784:
769:
751:
748:
746:
745:
720:
708:
706:, p. 223.
696:
681:
669:
657:
645:
633:
613:
601:
589:
587:, p. 146.
577:
558:
531:
483:
452:
450:
447:
443:World Heritage
435:
432:
424:Oral tradition
266:
263:
190:
189:
179:
173:
172:
169:
165:
164:
160:
159:
154:
148:
147:
142:
136:
135:
122:
118:
117:
110:18.750; 1.1750
83:
82:
73:
67:
66:
59:
58:
52:
51:
50:
49:
46:
45:
39:
36:
35:
28:
25:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1252:
1241:
1238:
1236:
1233:
1232:
1230:
1214:
1210:
1207:
1204:
1200:
1197:
1196:
1194:
1192:
1188:
1181:
1177:
1174:
1171:
1167:
1164:
1161:
1157:
1154:
1153:
1151:
1149:
1145:
1138:
1134:
1131:
1128:
1124:
1121:
1118:
1114:
1111:
1110:
1108:
1106:
1102:
1095:
1084:
1080:
1077:
1074:
1070:
1067:
1064:
1060:
1057:
1056:
1054:
1052:
1048:
1044:
1041:
1036:
1032:
1027:
1018:
1013:
1011:
1006:
1004:
999:
998:
995:
981:on 2011-10-15
980:
976:
975:
969:
968:
964:
958:
954:
950:
946:
942:
938:
933:
921:
916:
912:
908:
904:
899:
898:
894:
888:
884:
880:
876:
872:
868:
863:
859:
855:
852:(2): 65–113,
851:
847:
843:
838:
833:
828:
824:
822:1-55876-241-8
818:
814:
809:
805:
803:0-8419-0431-6
799:
795:
790:
787:
785:9780915703616
781:
777:
776:
770:
765:
762:(in French),
761:
760:
754:
753:
749:
733:
732:
724:
721:
717:
712:
709:
705:
700:
697:
693:
688:
686:
682:
678:
673:
670:
666:
661:
658:
654:
653:Levtzion 1973
649:
646:
642:
637:
634:
630:
626:
625:El-Bekri 1913
622:
617:
614:
610:
605:
602:
598:
593:
590:
586:
585:Levtzion 1973
581:
578:
574:
570:
565:
563:
559:
554:on 2012-05-19
550:
543:
542:
535:
532:
521:on 2012-03-17
520:
516:
515:
509:
505:
501:
497:
493:
487:
484:
479:on 2011-07-22
475:
468:
467:
460:
458:
454:
448:
446:
444:
441:
433:
431:
429:
425:
421:
419:
415:
410:
406:
404:
400:
396:
392:
387:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
349:
345:
339:
335:
333:
332:
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
294:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
264:
262:
260:
254:
252:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
208:
204:
196:
187:
183:
180:
178:
170:
158:
155:
153:
146:
143:
141:
134:
123:
114:
86:Coordinates:
77:
56:
42:
37:
23:
1136:
1132:
1105:Kidal Cercle
1039:
983:, retrieved
979:the original
973:
940:
936:
924:, retrieved
910:
906:
870:
866:
849:
845:
831:
812:
793:
774:
758:
736:, retrieved
730:
723:
711:
699:
672:
660:
648:
636:
616:
604:
599:, p. 44
592:
580:
572:
549:the original
540:
534:
523:, retrieved
519:the original
513:
496:Kidal Cercle
491:
486:
474:the original
465:
437:
422:
420:performers.
411:
407:
388:
341:
337:
329:
322:Spanish-Arab
317:
310:West African
298:10th century
295:
268:
259:pastoralists
255:
236:
221:Kidal Region
202:
201:
157:Kidal Cercle
145:Kidal Region
1213:Intadjedite
1209:Intadjedite
1073:Tinzawatene
1069:Tinzawatene
971:Nixon, S.,
611:, p. 8
418:world music
395:petroglyphs
376:Sunni Islam
346:geographer
108: /
43:and village
1229:Categories
1203:Tin-Essako
1199:Tin-Essako
1176:Timtaghène
985:2008-10-08
750:References
716:Nixon 2009
704:Nixon 2009
677:Mauny 1961
627:, p.
525:2011-08-21
374:school of
352:Almoravids
344:Andalusian
314:Ibn Hawqal
163:Population
957:140577853
887:163032463
609:Holl 2006
177:Time zone
1170:Aguelhoc
1166:Aguelhoc
1160:Tessalit
1156:Tessalit
1083:Boghassa
1079:Boghassa
1063:Abeïbara
1059:Abeïbara
1040:Capital:
569:Tadmakka
500:communes
428:Timbuktu
403:tifinagh
348:al-Zuhri
326:al-Bakri
283:caravans
279:entrepôt
271:Timbuktu
257:nomadic
237:Tadmakka
96:1°10.5′E
510:. See:
384:Ouargla
354:helped
328:in his
287:Saharan
265:History
231:in the
217:commune
121:Country
93:18°45′N
41:Commune
1240:Tuareg
1180:Inabag
1137:Essouk
1133:Essouk
1127:Anefif
1123:Anefif
955:
926:23 Aug
885:
819:
800:
782:
738:21 Jan
504:Anefif
440:UNESCO
414:Tuareg
380:Tahert
372:Maliki
360:Muslim
246:تادمكة
241:Arabic
207:Arabic
203:Essouk
152:Cercle
140:Region
130:
68:Essouk
26:Essouk
1117:Kidal
1113:Kidal
1043:Kidal
953:S2CID
913:(2),
883:S2CID
575:# 39.
552:(PDF)
545:(PDF)
508:Kidal
477:(PDF)
470:(PDF)
449:Notes
399:kufic
368:Ibadi
356:Ghana
302:Ghana
291:Sudan
275:Kidal
229:Kidal
212:السوق
182:UTC+0
171:2,383
31:السوق
928:2011
817:ISBN
798:ISBN
780:ISBN
740:2011
391:wadi
382:and
342:The
304:and
281:for
225:Mali
133:Mali
76:Mali
945:doi
915:doi
875:doi
854:doi
629:339
401:or
316:'s
306:Gao
223:of
186:GMT
1231::
951:,
941:20
939:,
909:,
905:,
881:,
871:44
869:,
850:60
848:,
844:,
684:^
571:.
561:^
456:^
293:.
261:.
253:.
243::
209::
1215:)
1211:(
1205:)
1201:(
1182:)
1178:(
1172:)
1168:(
1162:)
1158:(
1139:)
1135:(
1129:)
1125:(
1119:)
1115:(
1085:)
1081:(
1075:)
1071:(
1065:)
1061:(
1016:e
1009:t
1002:v
989:.
960:.
947::
931:.
917::
911:2
890:.
877::
856::
836:.
826:.
768:.
743:.
727:*
631:.
556:.
529:.
481:.
239:(
205:(
188:)
184:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
