Mansa Musa — the richest man in history

African Supreme ruler Musa Keita I considered the richest man of all times and peoples — richer than you can imagine. In the 14th century, he ruled the Empire of Mali with rich natural resources, among which the first place was occupied by gold.

Musa Keita I came into power in 1312. At the coronation he was given the title of Mansa, the Supreme ruler. In those days most of Europe was starving and mired in the abyss of civil war, however, many African Kingdom was at the height of his power.

During the reign of Mansa Musa has significantly increased the boundaries of his Empire. He annexed Timbuktu and regained power over Gao. His lands stretched for more than three thousand kilometers.

In these spaces are now fully or partly in Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad.

The rest of the world was able to estimate the size of the huge state of Mansa in 1324, when he made a pilgrimage to Mecca, after approximately six thousand kilometers. The Hajj was not cheap.

Caravan Mansa Musa stretched beyond the horizon. Chroniclers describe tens of thousands of soldiers, civilians and slaves, and many camels and horses carrying huge amount of gold bullion.

During a stop in Cairo, he spent so much gold and donated so much money to the poor, which caused inflation! The city took years to fully recover from a currency crisis.

Due to this extravagant journey of Mansa Musa was on the map.

In 1375 he was depicted in the Catalan Atlas, one of the most important world maps of medieval Europe.

While material wealth was not the only concern of the king. Being a true Muslim, he showed a special interest in the city of Timbuktu, urbanizirovan it by building schools, mosques, and a major University.

He also built the legendary Djinguereber mosque in Timbuktu, which has been preserved until now.

Mansa Musa died in 1337, his reign lasted for 25 years. The rich heritage of Mansa persisted for generations. But to this day remains the mausoleums, libraries, and mosques are the silent witnesses of the Golden age in the history of Mali.