In the year 1858, the German explorer Heinrich Bart traveled across the wide expanse of

the Sahara Desert. He was determined to reach the city of Timbuk II that lay at its far

edge. He spoke Arabic along with several African languages and made careful notes about

the places he passed through. His journey all around West Africa would ultimately

be a trip of nearly 20,000 kilometres. But Bart was always on the lookout for more

sites to see, and on the arduous return leg of his journey he heard rumors of something

that only a handful of Europeans had ever seen before. His guides told him of the existence

of an enormous ruined city lost in the African bush, a city that had once commanded the

continent's greatest empire. His guides called this city Gau.

As soon as I had made out that Gau was the place which for several centuries had been

the capital of a strong and mighty empire in this region, I felt more ardent desire

to visit it than I had to reach Timbuk II. Gau had been the centre of a great national

movement from when its powerful and successful princes spread their conquests.

But gathered his things and set out, following the Niger River along with his guides, through

the swampy lowlands and flat desert plains, swatting away mosquitoes and setsy flies

until he reached the site of the former city. But what he saw disappointed him. He found

only a small collection of huts, about 300 in total, with heaps of overgrown rubble where

the ancient city had once stood.

This once busy locality which, according to the unanimous statements of former writers,

was the most splendid city of Africa, is now the desolate abode of a small and miserable

population. Just opposite my tent, they the ruined massive tower, a last remains of the

principal mosque of the capital. All around the wide open area in which we were encamped

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