Category 6. Mansa Musa’s Gold Pilgrimage & the African Gold Trade (1324 CE)

How the West African gold trade supplied European and Islamic economies

During the medieval period, West Africa was the world’s largest source of gold, supplying vast amounts to both Islamic and European economies. The Mali Empire, under rulers like Mansa Musa, controlled the rich goldfields of Bambuk, Bure, and Galam, which…

The legendary Mali Emperor Mansa Musa floods the market with gold during his pilgrimage to Mecca

In 1324 CE, Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Mali Empire, embarked on one of the most famous journeys in history—his pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca. What made this journey legendary was not just its religious significance but the unprecedented amount…