Ber ber ) ▁trad ers , ▁who , ▁from ▁early ▁Roman ▁times , ▁conducted ▁a ▁car avan ▁trade ▁across ▁the ▁Sah ara ▁in ▁salt , ▁slaves , ▁gold , ▁and ▁other ▁goods . ▁The ▁southern ▁terminal s ▁of ▁the ▁trans - S ah aran ▁trade ▁routes ▁were ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁desert , ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁supp lement al ▁trade ▁extended ▁as ▁far ▁south ▁as ▁the ▁edge ▁of ▁the ▁rain ▁forest . ▁The ▁more ▁important ▁terminal s — D j enn é , ▁G ao , ▁and ▁Tim bu ctu — g rew ▁into ▁major ▁commercial ▁cent res ▁around ▁which ▁the ▁great ▁Sud an ic ▁emp ires ▁developed . ▁ ▁By ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁trade ▁routes ▁with ▁their ▁powerful ▁military ▁forces , ▁these ▁emp ires ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁domin ate ▁neighbour ing ▁states . ▁The ▁Sud an ic ▁emp ires ▁also ▁became ▁cent res ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁education . ▁Islam ▁had ▁been ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁Sud an ▁by ▁Muslim ▁Ber ber ▁trad ers ▁from ▁North ▁Africa ; ▁it ▁spread ▁rapidly ▁after ▁the ▁conversion ▁of ▁many ▁important ▁r ul ers . ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century , ▁by ▁which ▁time ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁Sud an ic ▁emp ires ▁had ▁emb rac ed ▁Islam , ▁it ▁spread ▁south ▁into ▁the ▁northern ▁areas ▁of ▁contemporary ▁I v ory ▁Coast . ▁ ▁The ▁Gh ana ▁Empire , ▁the ▁earliest ▁of ▁the ▁Sud an ic ▁emp ires , ▁fl our ished ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁en comp ass ing ▁present -