Founded by the Mandinka people in the 17th century on the Milo River in eastern Guinea, Kankan became an important trading centre, particularly for kola nuts, and the capital of the Baté Empire. In 1881 the town was conquered by Samory Touré, and in 1891 was occupied by the French. Often called the second city of Guinea, it boasts the second largest public university in the country, and one of the oldest mosques in West Africa, the Great Mosque, built in 1770 by Bemba Alpha Kabine Kaba.
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