What is Al Sahili?
'''Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Sahili''' (1290–1346) was an [[architect]] during the [[Mali Empire]]. He lived under the rule of [[Mansa Musa]]. He was born in [[Granada]] in 1290. At the time this was part of [[Al-Andalus|Muslim Spain]]. Al-Sahili studied law and the arts. He was known as a gifted [[Poetry|poet]]. His family were rich [[merchant]]s (traders). He left Granada in 1321 and began to travel through the [[Middle East]], to [[Egypt]], [[Syria]], [[Iraq]] and [[Yemen]]. In 1346, he met the ruler of Mali, [[Mansa Musa]], who loved his poetry and invited him to return. Al-Sahili built for Mansa Musa an audience chamber (or [[Djingereyber]]; Great Mosque) in 1327. The mosque was described as a square building with a dome. The outside was decorated with [[plaster]] and patterns in colors. It was built with [[banco]]: soil mixed with wood, mixed with dried grass, and other fibers allowed to dry in the sun. It was built with the same architectural style as the [[Alhambra]] in Granada. Mansa Musa then wanted him to make a house for him, but the building was destroyed over time. He started a new trend of rounded [[arch]]es in [[Timbuktu]]. Al-Sahili died there in 1346. ==References== * {{citation | entry = Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Sahili | editor = Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure | title = West African Kingdoms: 500-1590 | series = World Eras | volume = 10 | publisher = Gale | year = 2004 | location = Detroit | isbn = 9780787660475 | pages = 322–326 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HE4LAAAACAAJ }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Sahili, Al}} [[Category:1290 births]] [[Category:1346 deaths]] [[Category:Malian people]] [[Category:Architects]] [[Category:People from Granada]] {{bio-stub}}