Illustration
A map tracing the journeys of Leo Africanus (al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi, c. 1494 – c. 1554), a 16th-century Maghrebi diplomat, traveler, and geographer. His Description of Africa (1550) remains one of the most detailed early European accounts of North and West Africa — covering regions from Morocco and the Sahara to the great river kingdoms of the interior.
Born in Granada and raised in Fez, Leo Africanus was educated as a Muslim scholar and served on diplomatic missions across North Africa. Captured by pirates while returning from a mission, he was taken to Rome, where he converted to Christianity and became known as Johannes Leo Africanus.
His Description of Africa, written in Italian, became Europe’s most influential work on the African continent for centuries. It offers rich insights into geography, trade routes, politics, and cultures of the time — with vivid observations of cities like Timbuktu, famed for its wealth and learning.
Leo Africanus describes vast deserts, mighty rivers, and a thriving trade in gold, salt, and slaves. His work captures a complex, interconnected world where North Africa, the Sahel, and the Mediterranean were bound by commerce, religion, and diplomacy.
More than a travelogue, Description of Africa shaped European perceptions of the continent for generations — blending personal experience, diplomatic knowledge, and keen observation into a unique historical record at the crossroads of African, Islamic, and European worlds.
About the Author
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2024, November 22). The Travels of Leo Africanus, 1507-1520. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19706/the-travels-of-leo-africanus-1507-1520/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "The Travels of Leo Africanus, 1507-1520." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified November 22, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/19706/the-travels-of-leo-africanus-1507-1520/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "The Travels of Leo Africanus, 1507-1520." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 22 Nov 2024. Web. 25 Mar 2025.
