Al Sahili
Encyclopedia
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim Al-Sahili (1290–1346) was a prominent architect of the Mali Empire
under the rule of Mansa Musa
.
, Andalusia
(Muslim Spain), Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Sahili studied the arts and law in his native land. Known as a gifted poet, al-Sahili belonged to a well-established merchant family. His father was also known for his mastery of jurisprudence, especially inheritance law. Al-Sahili gained a reputation as a man of letters and an eloquent poet in Andalusia, which by the 14th century was known for its rich cultural and religious diversity. Jewish, Christian
, and Islamic influences spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula
and into North Africa
and the Western Sahel
. Al- Sahili left Granada around 1321 and began to travel in Egypt
, Syria
, Iraq
, and Yemen
.
, where he built an audience chamber for Mansa Musa, demonstrating his talent as a skilled craftsman. So impressed was Musa that he engaged the Andalusian to construct his new residence and the Great, or Djingereyber, Mosque in Timbuktu. While the residence has been lost to time, the Great Mosque still stands in Timbuktu. Hunwick posits that the "rounded arch, so reminiscent of the architecture of Muslim Andalusia, may, therefore have been an innovation of al-Sahili." Abu Ishaq Al-Sahili died in 1346 and is buried in Timbuktu. Although it is believed that he never married, he is said to have fathered several children who later resettled in Walata.
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
under the rule of Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa
Musa I , commonly referred to as Mansa Musa, was the tenth mansa, which translates as "king of kings" or "emperor", of the Malian Empire...
.
Early life
Born in GranadaGranada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
(Muslim Spain), Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Sahili studied the arts and law in his native land. Known as a gifted poet, al-Sahili belonged to a well-established merchant family. His father was also known for his mastery of jurisprudence, especially inheritance law. Al-Sahili gained a reputation as a man of letters and an eloquent poet in Andalusia, which by the 14th century was known for its rich cultural and religious diversity. Jewish, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, and Islamic influences spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
and into North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and the Western Sahel
Sahel
The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....
. Al- Sahili left Granada around 1321 and began to travel in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
.
Career
In 1324, al-Sahili met the ruler of Mali, Mansa Musa, during his pilgrimage to Mecca. According to the chronicler al-Sa'di, Mansa Musa was so delighted by the poetry and narrative talents of al-Sahili that he invited him to return to Mali with him. Al- Sahili settled in the growing intellectual and commercial center of TimbuktuTimbuktu
Timbuktu , formerly also spelled Timbuctoo, is a town in the West African nation of Mali situated north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali...
, where he built an audience chamber for Mansa Musa, demonstrating his talent as a skilled craftsman. So impressed was Musa that he engaged the Andalusian to construct his new residence and the Great, or Djingereyber, Mosque in Timbuktu. While the residence has been lost to time, the Great Mosque still stands in Timbuktu. Hunwick posits that the "rounded arch, so reminiscent of the architecture of Muslim Andalusia, may, therefore have been an innovation of al-Sahili." Abu Ishaq Al-Sahili died in 1346 and is buried in Timbuktu. Although it is believed that he never married, he is said to have fathered several children who later resettled in Walata.