May 29, 2020
Meet Ibn Battuta. Ibn Battuta is a world famous traveler who ventured across the globe in the early 14th century. Turns out, he went to Mali too!
Ibn Battuta, however, had some... Opinions on Mali and its king, Mansa Suleyman.
Today, we follow his trek into Mali as a way to experience the kingdom on the ground during...
May 15, 2020
The famous Mansa Musa ruled Mali from c. 1312 to 1337. His reign was defined by the world-famous pilgrimage he made in 1324 to the holy city of Mecca. Today we hear that story and learn a bit more about the real Mansa Musa.
Between intrigue, diplomacy and war, Musa was a busy king. But under him - and his immediate...
May 1, 2020
What was Mali like in the 13th century? Why do we know so little about it? Who was Abu Bakr II? (Hint: Not real, but you might want to hear about the very real Mansa Muhammad instead)
Tales of trans-oceanic voyages and slave kings color our understanding of this era. Mali started the century as a disunited patchwork of...