Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A Sacred Invitation - Mansa Musa



Mansa Musa

Kingdom of Mali

Hajj 1324 AD / 724 AH

Biography


The term ‘Mansa’ appears to be the title of a Malian ruler during medieval times, equivalent to a king. The most notable example in the history of Mali is Mansa Musa, a Muslim leader who ruled Mali from 1312-1337 AD / 711-737 AH. His popularity was based largely on his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 AD / 724 AH. Ibn Battutah, the ultimate traveller from Tangier, mentioned this celebrated figure in his accounts. An image depicting Mansa Musa holding a nugget of gold to suggest his wealth also appeared on European map dated 1375 AD / 776 AH.

Extracted from the book: En Route to Mecca – Pilgrims’ Voices Throughout the Centuries

Publisher: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

(This book is published in conjunction with the En Route to Mecca: Pilgrims’ Voices Throughout the Centuries exhibition, launched in October 2009.)

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