Mali Empire
RegionWest Africa
Period1235-1600
Peak Size1.3 million km2
Founded BySundiata Keita
About Mali Empire
Mansa Musa, the richest person in history, was its most famous ruler. His 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca gave away so much gold it crashed Egypts economy for a decade. Timbuktu became a center of Islamic learning with 25,000 students. The University of Sankore had one of the largest libraries in Africa.