Koumbi Saleh was the capital of the Ghana Empire. It lies in what is now south east Mauritania.

In the eleventh century, it has a population of about 30,000, making it one of the largest on the continent. It consisted of two centres. The northern centre was known for its twelve mosques, while the southern, known as al-Ghala, was home to the royal palace surrounded by a small, planned settlement. Residential suburbs lay between the two centres. The city was later abandoned.