Trans-Saharan trade routes carried gold, ivory and slaves across the African Sahara. These trade routes connected North and South Africa, with few stops in between. The routes extended as far east as Cairo and as far west as Awlil. Most routes followed water, whether it be rivers or the ocean, but some did cross the desert itself, jumping from oasis to oasis. In the time of Rome, northern trade routes in Rome's territory were protected by forts. Later on, salt became a large trade product.