Final answer:
The capital cities of the Ghana and Mali Empires were Koumbi Saleh and Niani, respectively. These cities were pivotal economic and cultural centers in West Africa during medieval times, with Koumbi Saleh facilitating the trans-Saharan gold trade for the Ghana Empire and Niani serving as the capital under Mali's most prosperous rulers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Capitals of the Ghana and Mali Empires
The Ghana and Mali Empires were two of the most powerful empires in West Africa during the medieval period. The capital cities of these respective empires were Koumbi Saleh and Niani.
The Ghana Empire flourished because of its control of the trans-Saharan gold trade, with Koumbi Saleh as its bustling economic and administrative center. As goods like gold and salt passed through, it became a hub of prosperity and power. Later, the Mali Empire, under the leadership of Sundiata Keita, overtook the Ghana Empire as the dominant state in West Africa. Its capital, Niani, was the center of wealth and culture, especially during the reign of Mansa Musa, who was renowned for his extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca that showcased Mali's immense wealth.
Timbuktu also played a critical role as a center for Islamic learning and trade within the Mali Empire, especially under Mansa Musa, and Gao was a significant trading city at the edge of the empire which later became the capital of the rising Songhai Empire.