The Mali Empire was the center of the world’s gold ... However, Mansa Muhammed and his fleet of 2,000 ships disappeared and were never heard of or seen again. Some optimistic historians claim ...

Abu Bakr, Mansa Musa’s predecessor, was desperate for the Mali Empire to expand. Known as the Voyager King, he personally led thousands of ships on an expedition to conquer the Atlantic Ocean.

In the 1230s, a man called Sundiata Keita incorporated a series of smaller kingdoms into the Mali Empire. The empire was central to several key trading routes, and with the support of a well ...