In 1682, Tariq al-Sayyid, a charismatic and ambitious Madjriti explorer, defied the Sultan's explicit ban on traversing the interior of El-Rabeeah to seek fabled riches rumored to exist on the continent's western coast. Motivated by a desire to enrich his hometown and believing in the existence of a wealthy kingdom across the continent, he led an expedition of 250 men into the "Ghabat Aljahim," or "Hell's Forest." The journey through the endless jungle was catastrophic; disease, wildlife, and native attacks claimed the lives of nearly his entire retinue, leaving only 52 survivors by the time they emerged from the treeline in July. There, they encountered the towering "Sky Mountains," a formidable geographical barrier that marked the end of the jungle and the beginning of a new civilization.

Upon ascending the peaks, Sayyid discovered the Jabalzahab Empire, a civilization that was a shadow of its former self. He was shocked to learn that he was not the first European to reach them; a French expedition under De Morny II had invaded decades earlier, leaving the empire shattered by war, regicide, and Old World diseases. Utilizing his charisma and exploiting the natives' terror of another foreign invasion, Sayyid negotiated a peaceful exchange. The desperate locals, hoping to bribe the explorers into leaving, handed over immense quantities of gold and silver. Sayyid accepted the treasure, christening the land the "Empire of the Golden Mountains," and convinced the natives to guide him back to Madjriti territory via a safer southern route to avoid the deadly jungle.

Sayyid’s return in January 1683 was met with astonishment by colonial officials who had presumed him dead. The sheer volume of gold he presented caused a sensation throughout the Muslim world, instantly transforming him into a national hero and vindicating his illegal expedition. His discovery fundamentally altered the economic trajectory of the Sultanate, sparking a massive influx of settlers and shifting the colonial focus toward the extraction of mineral wealth. Although he had promised the natives protection to secure his safe passage, the revelation of their location and wealth ultimately led to the Sultanate absorbing the Jabalzahab into its empire by 1690, cementing Sayyid’s legacy as the man who unlocked the vast riches of the continent's interior.