The tomb of Askiya Muhammed in Gao, Mali
Added 2019-08-29 10:22:31 +0000 UTCAskia Muhammad was ruler of the Songhai Empire between 1493 - 1528. He is remembered as Askia the Great, since he strengthened Songhai and made it the largest empire in West Africa's history.
At its peak under his reign, the Songhai Empire encompassed the Hausa states as far as Kano (in present-day Nigeria) and much of the territory that had belonged to the Songhai empire in the west. His policies resulted in a rapid expansion of trade with Europe and Asia, the creation of many schools, and the establishment of Islam as an integral part of the empire.
