re: How epic do you think Mansa Musa's pilgrimage really was?

In the 1300s literally no one gave a sit about anyone in a lower social class than themselves. And no one ever have a shite about starving poor people in the streets.

If a king went to a few towns and tossed a few coins to the poor it's easy to see how his legend would be exaggerated over the years.

The guy probably existed, but he didn't have thousands of pounds of gold traveling with his golden armored army. Also, army weapons made of gold would be the least efficient weapons ever..