Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire, whose genius lay in economic management and the patronage of education. He is often cited as the wealthiest person in history, controlling the world's largest gold production. On his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, he gave away so much gold in Cairo that he caused massive inflation for over a decade. However, Musa’s true legacy was turning Timbuktu into a world-class center of learning. He brought back architects and scholars from across the Islamic world to build the Djinguereber Mosque and the University of Sankore. Under his reign, Mali became one of the most sophisticated and powerful empires of the medieval world, famous for its libraries and tolerance.