East and West African Societies Quick Check
5 of 55 of 5 Items
Question
Explain the significance of Timbuktu in West Africa.(1 point)
Responses
Timbuktu was the capital of the Nok culture.
Timbuktu was the capital of the Nok culture.
Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.
Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.
Timbuktu was a popular tourist destination.
Timbuktu was a popular tourist destination.
Timbuktu was the origin point of iron-smelting in West Africa.
Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.
The correct answer is: Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.
To explain the significance of Timbuktu in West Africa, we need to understand its historical importance.
Timbuktu was not the capital of the Nok culture, as mentioned in the first option. The Nok culture existed in Nigeria, while Timbuktu is located in present-day Mali.
The second option is correct. Timbuktu was a center for learning and scholarship, similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe. During the 14th to 16th centuries, it was a renowned center of Islamic culture, education, and trade. It attracted scholars and students from all over Africa and the Muslim world.
The third option is incorrect. While Timbuktu may currently be a popular tourist destination, this was not its significance historically.
The last option is also incorrect. The origin point of iron-smelting in West Africa is not Timbuktu. Iron-smelting technology in West Africa predates the existence of Timbuktu as a significant city.
Therefore, the correct answer is: "Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe."