From 1312 CE to 1337 CE, Mansa Musa (also known as Musa I of Mali) presided over the Mali kingdom. Mansa Musa was among the wealthiest people in the world and Mali was one of the wealthiest countries in Africa during his rule. A portion of what is now Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso once belonged to the ancient Mali kingdom. Mansa Musa transformed towns like Gao and Timbuktu into significant cultural hubs. In order to create new structures for his settlements, he also imported architects from the Middle East and other parts of Africa. Mali's kingdom was transformed by Mansa Musa into an advanced Islamic hub of study. Following the disappearance of the previous monarch, Abu Bakr II, at sea in 1312 CE, Mansa Musa assumed the throne. In order to explore the Atlantic Ocean, Mansa Abu Bakr II had left on a big fleet of ships, but he never came back. Mali became the richest kingdom in Africa during Mansa Musa's leadership despite inheriting an already prosperous kingdom. His wealth stemmed from the Mali kingdom's large salt and gold reserves. Another significant source of wealth was ivory from elephants.