Who is Mansa Musa?

Mansa Musa was a Medieval African emperor who ruled over Mali from 1312-1337. He is most well-known for his pilgrimage to Mecca that occurred in 1324. He was the first Muslim African ruler to make the pilgrimage.

When Mansa Musa made his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, he had an entourage of thousands of servants with him throughout the journey and brought a large amount of gold that was distributed to the poor, charitable organizations, and the kings and queens of nations that he was traveling though. When he returned to Mali, he brought with him Muslim scholars, architects and philosophers who helped the country develop further.