Trade was not only a vital part of the empires’ economies, but it also provided a means for the spread of religious beliefs. Ghanaians first encountered Islam during the ninth century. Although Islam did not have an established priesthood, a group of “the learned” referred to, as the “ulama” were educated extensively on the religion. These members of the ulama encountered various merchants and travelers on the trans-Saharan trade routes. The knowledge of Islam eventually found its way to Ghana by the numerous people passing through the major cities. At first, the Ghanaian King and most of the empire’s citizens did not convert to this new religion; however, the king allowed followers of Islam to contract mosques and freely practice their religion. While Islam’s roots began to take hold in the region, most Ghanaians still practiced old religious traditions. These old religious beliefs stem from a Soninke legend:
“The Legend of Ouagadou-Bida” (wa-ga-doo-bee-dah)
“The Legend of Ouagadou-Bida” (wa-ga-doo-bee-dah)
“According to tradition, Ouagadou-Bida was a large snake that lived in a dark cave. This cave was located in the Scared Grove, which was in the empire’s royal capital. This holy serpent was the protecting spirit of the Sisse clan of the Ghanaian rulers. Sine the king was the protector of the empire, Ouagadou-Bida became the protecting spirit of the entire kingdom. This is why the Ghanaians called their land the kingdom of Ouagadou. Ghanaians believed that the legend of this great snake represented the rise and decline of the empire. To worship the spirit properly, the most beautiful girl of Koumbi was sacrificed in the Scared Grove. The legend states that the priests of Ghana chose to sacrifice a beautiful girl named Sia. The lovely Sia, it turned out, was engaged to be married to a mighty warrior named Amadou Sefedokote. Not surprisingly, Amadou was most upset by the outcome of Koumbi;s annual beauty contest. On the day of the sacrifice, he crept into the Scared Grove and hid behind a tree. When the serpent spirit came out of the cave, Amadou leaped forward and sliced off its head. Ouagadou-Bida was no ordinary serpent. It promptly grew a new head to replace the one that had been severed, or cut off. Fortunately, Amadou was not only strong and silent; he had a lot of fight in him. He hacked off the serpent’s heads just as fast as the spirit could replace them. The serpent’s heads severed heads whistled through the air and landed in regions such as Bambuk and Bure, which immediately became gold-bearing regions. Finally, after Amadou had cut off the seventh head, Ouagadou-Bida collapsed and died. Amadou mounted a great white steed, snatched up Sia, and galloped off while all the people of Koumbi cursed him and wept. The people of Koumbi knew that without their protective spirit…the kingdom of Ghana was doomed. Sure enough, a terrible period of drought followed. Grains would not grow in the fields. Flocks of animals died with Ouagadou-Bida. Such was the end of the Ghanaian Empire, according to legend.” (Chu and Skinner 44-5).
After Islam was introduced and accepted by more Ghanaians, more Muslim and Jewish traders from Egypt and other parts of North Africa settled in the capital of Koumbi Salah.
Djenne, Mali, is an ancient hub for several trans-Saharan caravan routes. The Great Mosque is constructed of mud—a dramatic example of the city's standard building method.
