Journey to a medieval world with Africa at its center.
Interested in bringing a larger group to explore the exhibition?
Travel with the Block Museum along routes crossing the Sahara Desert to a time when West African gold fueled expansive trade and drove the movement of people, culture, and religious beliefs.Take part in a walk-through of the Caravans of Gold exhibition led by a member of the curatorial or docent team and learn more about the creation of this groundbreaking exhibition. These free tours kick off in the museum lobby.
Caravans of Gold is the first major exhibition addressing the scope of Saharan trade and the shared history of West Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe from the eighth to sixteenth centuries. Weaving stories about interconnected histories, the exhibition showcases the objects and ideas that connected at the crossroads of the medieval Sahara and celebrates West Africa’s historic and under-recognized global significance. Presenting more than 250 artworks spanning five centuries and a vast geographic expanse, the exhibition features unprecedented loans from partner institutions in Mali, Morocco, and Nigeria, many of which will be seen in North America for the first time.
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Tuesday Tours
Curatorial overview of the exhibition. Capacity for a gallery tour is 35 people. Should attendance exceed capacity, the curatorial overview will be presented in the Block Auditorium, followed by informal Q&A with the curator in the galleries.Tours begin at 12 PM in the Block Museum lobby. Tours typically last 45-60 minutes. No RSVP required - all are welcome! This spring, Tuesday tours will take place on:
- July 2
- July 9
- July 16
