Where was mansa musa born

Mansa musa biography summary example Mansa Musa, also known as Musa Keita I of Mali, was the tenth Sultan of the Mali Empire. This biography profiles his childhood, family life, empire, rule, administration, net worth, and also gives some fun facts.

Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali)


Mansa Musa (Musa I of Mali) was the ruler of the kingdom of Mali from C.E. to C.E. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world. The ancient kingdom of Mali spread across parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso.

Mansa Musa developed cities like Timbuktu and Gao into important cultural centers. He also brought architects from the Middle East and across Africa to design new buildings for his cities. Mansa Musa turned the kingdom of Mali into a sophisticated center of learning in the Islamic world.

Mansa Musa came to power in C.E., after the previous king, Abu Bakr II, disappeared at sea.

Mansa Abu Bakr II had departed on a large fleet of ships to explore the Atlantic Ocean, and never returned. Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa.

Mansa musa biography for kids Musa I of Mali, mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from (or ). He left a realm notable for its extent and riches—he built the Great Mosque at Timbuktu—but he is best remembered in the Middle East and Europe for the splendor of his pilgrimage to Mecca ().

His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.

When Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca in C.E., his journey through Egypt caused quite a stir. The kingdom of Mali was relatively unknown outside of West Africa until this event.

Arab writers from the time said that he travelled with an entourage of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying kilograms ( pounds) of gold. While in Cairo, Mansa Musa met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his caravan spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years.

Mansa musa family Mansa Musa was the legendary ruler of the Mali Empire, thought by many to be the richest person to have ever lived. The Mali Empire was the center of the world’s gold production, affording Musa indescribable wealth. During his reign, he embarked on a fabled gold-laden pilgrimage to Mecca.

Stories of his fabulous wealth even reached Europe. The Catalan Atlas, created in C.E. by Spanish cartographers, shows West Africa dominated by a depiction of Mansa Musa sitting on a throne, holding a nugget of gold in one hand and a golden staff in the other. After the publication of this atlas, Mansa Musa became cemented in the global imagination as a figure of stupendous wealth.

After his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa began to revitalize cities in his kingdom.

He built mosques and large public buildings in cities like Gao and, most famously, Timbuktu. Timbuktu became a major Islamic university center during the 14th century due to Mansa Musa’s developments. Mansa Musa brought architects and scholars from across the Islamic world into his kingdom, and the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew.

The kingdom of Mali reached its greatest extent around the same time, a bustling, wealthy kingdom thanks to Mansa Musa’s expansion and administration.

Mansa Musa died in and was succeeded by his sons.

Mansa musa biography pdf

Musa I of Mali, mansa (emperor) of the West African empire of Mali from (or ). He left a realm notable for its extent and riches—he built the Great Mosque at Timbuktu—but he is best remembered in the Middle East and Europe for the splendor of his pilgrimage to Mecca ().

His skillful administration left his empire well-off at the time of his death, but eventually, the empire fell apart. Well after his death, Mansa Musa remained engrained in the imagination of the world as a symbol of fabulous wealth. However, his riches are only one part of his legacy, and he is also remembered for his Islamic faith, promotion of scholarship, and patronage of culture in Mali.