Mansa Musa's Hajj: The Gold That Crashed Cairo's Economy

In 1324, Mansa Musa, the emperor of Mali, embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca that would become legendary—not just for its piety, but for its staggering display of wealth. As his caravan passed through Cairo, he distributed so much gold that its value plummeted in Egypt for over a decade. This episode explores the mechanics of that journey: the 60,000-strong retinue, the 80 camels each carrying 300 pounds of gold dust, and the diplomatic encounters with the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad. We delve into the accounts of the Egyptian historian Al-Umari, who interviewed officials still reeling from the effects, and the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta, who visited Mali later and saw the consequences. We also discuss how Mansa Musa's generosity was both a blessing and a curse—sparking inflation but also cementing his fame across the Islamic world. How did a single pilgrimage reshape the economy of the Mediterranean? And what does it reveal about the scale of Mali's wealth under the Keita dynasty? Join Lucas and Luna as they unpack the numbers, the legends, and the enduring legacy of the richest man in history. #MansaMusa #MaliEmpire #Hajj #Gold #Cairo #AlUmari #IbnBattuta #SultanAlNasirMuhammad #KeitaDynasty #MedievalAfrica #WestAfrica #Inflation #Pilgrimage #1324 #FexingoHistory #History #WorldHistory #Podcast #GoldTrade #Timbuktu Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo