This intensified the contacts between West Africa and the Islamic world.

Although several of these kings made pilgrimages to Mecca, the most spectacular was the one by Mansa Musa in 1324.

On his way there, he made a prolonged visit to Cairo.

While there, both his generosity in giving lavish gifts of gold to its citizens and his extravagant spending poured so much gold into the Cairo market that it caused a general inflation.

It was estimated by the Arabs that his caravan included some sixty thousand people and some five hundred personal slaves.