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Established in 757 AD, Sijilmassa was an important trading center from the 8th to the 11th century. The northern terminus for caravan routes transporting gold across the Sahara Desert from Senegal, the town's population swelled to nearly 100,000 before it was destroyed by the Almoravids in 1054. As you approach this ancient fortress try to make out the mud brick walls of the first independent kingdom of the south. Be patient, it may take some time to distinguish the ruins from the desert horizon.