Gao
Gao is a city in
Mali on the
River Niger with a population of about 38,000 people.
The city was founded around the
seventh century as
Kawkaw, its first recorded monarch being
Kanda, who founded the
Za dynasty of what became the
Songhai Empire. He ensured the city's growth by allowing
trans-Saharan traders to visit and
Berbers to settle. Trade increased after
Za Kossoi converted to
Islam in
1009.
The
Mali Empire conquered Gao in
1325, but
Ali Golon re-established Songhai rule. Under
Ali the Great in the late
fifteenth century the city became centre of an empire, with about 70,000 residents and a 1,000-boat
navy, but Gao was largely destroyed by the
Moroccan invasion of
1591. The town remained small until
French rule was imposed in the early
twentieth century, expanding the
port and establishing a colonial base.
Attractions in Gao include the original
fourteenth century Gao Mosque, the
Askia Tomb, built in
1495 and incorporating another
mosque, a
museum devoted to the
Sahel,
markets including a night market, and
La Dune Rose, a
sand dune named for its appearance at
dawn and
nightfall.
Gao has an international
airport and is linked to cities along the Niger, including
Timbuktu, by a
ferry service.
A number of villages (including
Bakal) are along the outskirts of Gao, in the Gao district.
