He extended its
boundaries beyond those of Ghana to include such important trading
cities as Timbuktu and Gao, encompassing an area larger than that
controlled by the European monarchs of that day. This empire also
was based on its ability to provide stable government and a
flourishing economy. An Arab traveler, Ibn Batuta, shortly after
Musa's death, found complete safety of travel throughout the
entire empire of Mali
Mansa Musa and, for that matter, the entire ruling class of Mali
had converted to Islam. This intensified the contacts between West
Africa and the Islamic world. Although several of these kings
made pilgrimages to Mecca, the most spectacular was the one by
Mansa Musa in 1324. On his way there, he made a prolonged visit
to Cairo. While there, both his generosity in giving lavish gifts of
gold to its citizens and his extravagant spending poured so much
gold into the Cairo market that it caused a general inflation. It
was estimated by the Arabs that his caravan included some sixty
thousand people and some five hundred personal slaves. Mansa
Musa took a number of Arabic scholars and skilled artisans back to
West Africa with him.
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