Why did Timbuktu flourish under the Mali and Songhai empires?

Timbuktu flourished under the Mali and Songhai empires primarily due to its strategic location at the meeting point of the Sahara and the Niger River, which made it an ideal hub for the trans-Saharan trade of gold, salt, slaves, cloth, and horses.1

During the Mali Empire, the city grew into a major center of Islamic culture, supported by imperial patronage. Emperors like Mansa Mūsā commissioned significant architectural projects, including the Djinguereber and Sankore mosques, the latter of which became the foundation for Sankore University.1

Under the Songhai Empire, particularly during the Askia dynasty, Timbuktu reached the height of its commercial and intellectual development. Rulers like Muhammad I Askia integrated the city's scholarly elite into the government as legal and moral counselors, fostering an environment where trade and learning thrived alongside one another.1