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If someone asked you[br]who the richest people in history were,

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who would you name?

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Perhaps a billionaire banker[br]or corporate mogul,

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like Bill Gates or John D. Rockefeller.

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How about African King Musa Keita I?

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Ruling the Mali Empire [br]in the 14th century CE,

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Mansa Musa, or the King of Kings,

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amassed a fortune that possibly made him

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one of the wealthiest [br]people who ever lived.

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But his vast wealth was only[br]one piece of his rich legacy.

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When Mansa Musa came to power in 1312,

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much of Europe was racked [br]by famine and civil wars.

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But many African kingdoms[br]and the Islamic world were flourishing,

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and Mansa Musa played a great role[br]in bringing the fruits of this flourishing

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to his own realm.

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By strategically annexing [br]the city of Timbuktu,

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and reestablishing power [br]over the city of Gao,

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he gained control [br]over important trade routes

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between the Mediterranean [br]and the West African Coast,

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continuing a period of expansion,[br]which dramatically increased Mali's size.

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The territory of the Mali Empire[br]was rich in natural resources,

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such as gold and salt.

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The world first witnessed the extent[br]of Mansa Musa's wealth in 1324

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when he took his pilgrimage to Mecca.

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Not one to travel on a budget,

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he brought a caravan stretching[br]as far as the eye could see.

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Accounts of this journey are mostly[br]based on an oral testimony

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and differing written records,

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so it's difficult to determine[br]the exact details.

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But what most agree on is the extravagant[br]scale of the excursion.

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Chroniclers describe an entourage [br]of tens of thousands of soldiers,

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civilians,

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and slaves,

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500 heralds bearing gold staffs[br]and dressed in fine silks,

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and many camels and horses[br]bearing an abundance of gold bars.

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Stopping in cities such as Cairo,

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Mansa Musa is said to have spent[br]massive quantities of gold,

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giving to the poor, buying souvenirs,

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and even having mosques [br]built along the way.

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In fact, his spending may have [br]destabilized the regional economy,

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causing mass inflation.

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This journey reportedly took over a year,[br]and by the time Mansa Musa returned,

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tales of his amazing wealth had spread[br]to the ports of the Mediterranean.

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Mali and its king were elevated[br]to near legendary status,

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cemented by their inclusion [br]on the 1375 Catalan Atlas.

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One of the most important world maps[br]of Medieval Europe,

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it depicted the King holding a scepter[br]and a gleaming gold nugget.

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Mansa Musa had literally put his empire[br]and himself on the map.

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But material riches weren't [br]the king's only concern.

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As a devout Muslim, [br]he took a particular interest in Timbuktu,

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already a center of religion [br]and learning prior to its annexation.

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Upon returning from his pilgrimage,

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he had the great [br]Djinguereber Mosque built there

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with the help of [br]an Andalusian architect.

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He also established a major university,[br]further elevating the city's reputation,

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and attracting scholars and students[br]from all over the Islamic world.

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Under Mansa Musa,[br]the Empire became urbanized,

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with schools and mosques[br]in hundreds of densely populated towns.

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The king's rich legacy [br]persisted for generations

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and to this day, there are mausoleums,[br]libraries and mosques

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that stand as a testament [br]to this golden age of Mali's history.