Mali Summary and Analysis

Ibn Battuta sets out for Mali across the Sahara Desert in 1351. After a dangerous crossing, he arrives in Walata and meets the local governor, who does not impress him with the kind of generosity he has received from other similar figures. From there, he continues on to the Malian capital, the exact location of which is not known, Dunn explains, but may be near a town known as Niani. Here he meets Mansa Sulayman after recovering from a long illness. Again, he is not impressed with the small gifts offered him by the Malian leader.

Ibn Battuta has mixed opinions of the Malians. On one hand they raise their children according to strict Muslim law, but they also mix their observances with some obviously non-Muslim traditions. He leaves the Malian capital in 1353 and moves on to Timbuktu and Takadda before receiving...