About the time that the Aztecs began building Tenochtitlan and the Ottoman Turks began the creation of their empire, Mansa Musa began his obligatory hajj to Mecca in 1324 with an impressive company. In his caravan he brought 60,000 people dressed in fine silk and 80 camels carrying 2 tons of gold. Among this throng Mansa Musa had 12,000 servants, 500 of which carried staffs of gold. If this entourage had not caught the attention of the countries he crossed through, his generous giving would. Wherever he went he gave gold to the needy as given is required by a pillar of Islam. In Cairo he gave so much gold that in Egypt its value did not recover for twelve years. Some of this wealth and power directly relates to the unique position of his empire along the Niger River basin and the crossroads of many major trans-Saharan trade routes. Two of these traded commodities were salt and gold; they were so important that in the fourteenth century they were used as currency. The salt trade originated from the North of Mali in the mines of Taghaza. The gold mines of Bambuk, on the other hand, laid within Mali territory. This gold was the source of half of the world’s supply and greatly contributed to Mansa Musa’s wealth. A Spanish mapmaker depicted Mansa Musa seated on his thrown gazing at a gold nugget in his right hand, holding a golden scepter in his left, and wearing a golden crown on his head to show the most powerful, the richest, the most fortunate ruler of that time.