The Last Civilized PlaceSet along the Saharas edge, Sijilmasa was an African El Dorado, a legendary city of gold. But unlike El Dorado, Sijilmasa was a real city, the pivot in the gold trade between ancient Ghana and the Mediterranean world. Following its emergence as an independent city state controlling a monopoly on gold during its first 250 years, Sijilmasa was incorporated into empireAlmoravid, Almohad, and onwardleading to the last civilized place becoming the cradle