MUSA Collection

t when his kingdom stretched from the Atlantic coast to the western border of today’s Nigeria. The trans-Saharan trade reached a high point during this period and the king of Mali became extremely rich, thanks to a system of tariffs and taxes which were mainly raised in gold. He is considered by historians to have been the wealthiest man in history, with a fortune worth the equivalent of around $400 billion today. News of the king’s incredible riches spread far and wide when he made an elaborate, 4000-mile pilgrimage to Mecca with an entourage of thousands; when he stopped in Cairo, he donated so much money to the poor that it caused massive inflation. On his return, he dedicated himself to the urbanisation of Timbuktu, building schools, a major university and mosques, including the Djinguereber mosque, which still stands today.