Which oasis city is located along the trans-Saharan trade route?

Which oasis city is located along the trans-Saharan trade route?

• A. Damascus, Syria
• B. London, England
• C. Mecca, Saudi Arabia
• D. Siwa, Egypt

Answer: (D)

Oasis towns along desert trade routes provided essential water, food, and rest stops for caravans crossing the Sahara. Siwa, an oasis in western Egypt, sits right on historic caravan corridors between the Nile region and sub-Saharan Africa, making it a natural stopping point on the trans-Saharan trade network. That connection to the Sahara caravan routes is what makes Siwa the best choice. Damascus sits far to the northeast in the Levant and was part of different trade networks, London is in Europe, and Mecca lies on Arabian trade routes and pilgrimage paths, not the trans-Saharan corridor.

Oasis towns along desert trade routes provided essential water, food, and rest stops for caravans crossing the Sahara. Siwa, an oasis in western Egypt, sits right on historic caravan corridors between the Nile region and sub-Saharan Africa, making it a natural stopping point on the trans-Saharan trade network. That connection to the Sahara caravan routes is what makes Siwa the best choice. Damascus sits far to the northeast in the Levant and was part of different trade networks, London is in Europe, and Mecca lies on Arabian trade routes and pilgrimage paths, not the trans-Saharan corridor.