Mansa Kankan Musa I or Mansa Musa was a 14th century king of the Mali Empire. He is remembered for his fabled hajj and as a benefactor of Islamic scholarship.

Musa was the grandson of the founder of the Mali's Empire, Sundiata Keita, and ruled over Mali while it was the source of almost half the world's gold. Musa was a devoted Muslim and Islamic scholarship flourished under his rule. With Musa as a benefactor, Sankore University in Timbuktu reached its height. Craftsmen and especially Islamic scholars came from all over the Muslim world to receive a free education at Sankore's guilds and madrasas.

Musa is, perhaps, most famous for his hajj. As part of his pilgrimage to Mecca, Musa gave gold away generously. When he passed through Cairo, he gave out so much gold that the price of gold didn't recover for 12 years. Musa was so generous that he ran out of money and had to take out a loan to be able to afford the journey home. Musa's hajj, and especially his gold, caught the attention of both the Islamic and Christian worlds.

He was succeeded in 1341 by his brother Mansa Sulayman .

External links

• Al-Umari's description of Mansa Musa's 1324 visit to Cairo translated by Joseph Kenny
• Sondiata and Mansa Musa on the Web web directory