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Primary sourcePainting1375

Catalan Atlas, Sheet 6: Western Sahara

Abraham Cresques · 1375

A section of the 1375 Catalan Atlas showing Saharan caravan routes and walled cities around the image of Mansa Musa enthroned.

This map shows the trans-Saharan trade routes that carried Musa's fame as a gold-rich ruler into Europe.

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Detail of a medieval painted map showing a seated crowned figure holding a gold coin and a scepter on a throne, a camel rider in green robes and turban on the left, walled cities drawn in red and purple, red rhumb lines, and handwritten Catalan-style text in brown ink.
Attributed to Abraham Cresques, Catalan Atlas, Sheet 6 (Western Sahara), 1375.

About this source

What it is

This is the lower portion of sheet six of the Catalan Atlas, a medieval map attributed to Abraham Cresques. It shows the Atlas Mountains, the River Niger, walled cities, and trans-Saharan caravan routes, with Mansa Musa shown seated on a throne holding a gold coin.

Why it matters

The map shows how European mapmakers understood the geography and trade networks of West Africa in the 14th century. The gold-trade routes drawn around Musa's image explain why his fame as a wealthy ruler had spread to Europe, making him a landmark figure on this famous map.

Look closer

  • Why would a European mapmaker place an image of an African ruler on a map meant to guide trade and travel?
  • What do the caravan routes and walled cities tell you about how goods and information moved across the Sahara?
  • What is missing from this map that a modern map of the region would include?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Mansa Musa on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Detail of a medieval painted map showing a crowned figure seated on a throne, holding a gold coin in one hand and a scepter in the other, with towns, handwritten labels, and wavy sea nearby.Painting

Secondary source

Catalan Atlas: Mansa Musa Enthroned

Abraham Cresques (attributed) · 1375

Open manuscript on a display, pages covered in brown-ink Arabic script on aged, yellowed paper. The left page is written in handwriting across most of its lines, and the right page has a decorated heading at the top followed by dense Arabic text. The leather-bound spine is visible at the left edge.Book

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Djinguereber Mosque

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