About This Site

This site holds more than 150 resources about Sondiata and Mansa Musa, kings of the Empire of Mali in the 13th and 14th centuries. It also covers some aspects of later history, including the oral poetry that have preserved Sundiata's deeds for hundreds of years.

Some highlights

Start by reading Sondiata or Mansa Musa. But don't wait too long before diving into the Primary Sources—there are quite a few available on the web. The Mali Empire and Others covers the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai Empires together, with a special section on Timbuktu and its books.

If you are a teacher, check out For Educators for lesson plans and booklists. Standards Controversy covers Mansa Musa's improbable cameo in the Culture Wards.

Get involved

This site is large, but still needs work. Know a good site I missed? Find a broken link? Let me know at [email protected].

Finally, add yourself to my Mansa Musa and Sondiata list, and get an update when features are added. If you like I can keep you up to date on other American history sites, such as Ibn Battuta on the Web and Ibn Khaldun on the web. You'll never get more than one email per month, I promise!

Sondiata is sometimes spelled Sondjata. Mansa Musa is sometimes named Mansa Kankan Musa, or spelled Mansa Mussa. Saying this helps search engines, so sue me. :)

Enjoy the site!

Tim Spalding
Portland, Maine