Musa

or Mousa

(died 1332/37?) Emperor (mansa) of the West African Mali empire from 1307 (or 1312). Musa left a realm notable for its extent and riches (he built the Great Mosque at Timbuktu), but he is best remembered for the splendour of his pilgrimage to Mecca (1324), which awakened the world to Mali's stupendous wealth and stimulated a desire among North Africans and Europeans to locate its source. Under Musa, Mali became one of the largest empires in the world and Timbuktu grew to be a major commercial city.

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