Essouk is a small village located in the Kidal Region of Mali. The village includes the ruins of the medieval town of Tadmakka which served as an important storing place for the trans-Saharan trade. The first appearance of the name Tadmakka dates back to Arabic texts from the 10th century AD, when it was associated with trade with Ghana and Gao (a city in Mali located on the banks of the Niger River). The archaeological remains at Essouk site include ruined houses, mosques, and many Islamic and pre-Islamic cemeteries, in addition to a group of petroglyphs covering the rocks surrounding the site.