Leo Africanus was the Christianised name of Hasan bin Muhammed al-Wazzan al-Fasi (Hasan, son of Muhammed, the Weigher from Fez) (Granada 1488? – 1554?). A former inhabitant of Granada, his family left the city sometime after the Christian conquest of the Muslim kingdom in 1492. Coordinates: Country Spain Autonomous community Andalusia Settled since 7th century BC Area  - City 88 km²  (34 sq mi) Elevation 738 m (2,421. ... // January 8 - The present Royal Netherlands Navy was formed By decree of Maximillian of Austria. ... Events January 5 - Great fire in Eindhoven, Netherlands. ... Coordinates: Country Spain Autonomous community Andalusia Settled since 7th century BC Area  - City 88 km²  (34 sq mi) Elevation 738 m (2,421. ... Not to be confused with 1492: Conquest of Paradise. ...

The family settled in Fez, Morocco, where Leo studied at the University of Al Karaouine. As a young man he accompanied his uncle on a diplomatic mission in the Maghreb, reaching as far as the city of Timbuktu (c. 1510), then part of the Songhai Empire. While still a young man, he was captured by European pirates somewhere in the Mediterranean (either on the island of Djerba or Crete), and sold into slavery. Presented to Pope Leo X, he was baptized^[1] and freed. The Pope, recognizing his abilities, asked him to put together a survey of his knowledge of the continent of Africa. For many years he was the only known source of information on Sudan. This article is about the city Fez in Morocco. ... Interior of the Al Karaouine Mosque and University The University of Al Karaouine (Arabic: ‎) (other transliterations of the name include Kairouyine, Qaraouyine, Quarawin, Al-Qarawiyin, Kairaouine, Karaouine and El Qaraouiyn) is a university located in Fes, Morocco. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Timbuktu (Archaic English: Timbuctoo; Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu; French: Tombouctou) is a city in Tombouctou Region, Mali. ... Year 1510 (MDX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... The Songhai Empire, c. ... Look up pirate and piracy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Djerba [1] (also transliterated as Jerba, Jarbah or Girba جزيرة جربة) is the largest island off North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes off the coast of Tunisia. ... For the famous World War II battle, see: Battle of Crete For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... Pope Leo X, born Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici (11 December 1475 – 1 December 1521) was Pope from 1513 to his death. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

At the time he visited the city of Timbuktu, it was somewhat past its peak, but still a thriving Islamic city famous for its learning. Timbuktu was to become a byword in Europe as the most inaccessible of cities, but at the time Leo visited, it was the center of a busy trade carried on by traders in African products, gold, printed cottons and slaves, and in Islamic books. Leo is said to have died in 1554 in Tunis, having reconverted to Islam. Timbuktu (Archaic English: Timbuctoo; Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu; French: Tombouctou) is a city in Tombouctou Region, Mali. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Standard atomic weight 196. ... Cotton ready for harvest. ... Slave redirects here. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

Most of Leo's life is a mystery, and can only be gleaned from references in his book, Cosmographia Dell’ Africa (Description of Africa).

In fiction

A fictionalized account of his life, Leo Africanus, by Amin Maalouf, fills in key gaps in the story and places Leo Africanus in all of the prominent events of his time. Leo Africanus is a 1986 novel by Amin Maalouf, depicting the life of the mysterious Renaissance traveller Leo Africanus. ... Amin Maalouf (Arabic: ; born (25 February 1949 in Beirut) is a Lebanese author. ...

Contemporary References

The blog Leo Africanus by Sean Jacobs "comments on media coverage of Africa in the West, especially its mainstream." Jacobs (rather ambitiously) claims he is taking his "lead from Leo Africanus whose 16th century writings shaped Western ideas about Africa for centuries."

Notes

1. ^ He took the names Joannes Leo (Latin), Giovanni Leone (Italian), and Yuhanna al-Asad (Arabic).

External links

• A summary of Leo's life
• Biography of Leo Africanus and links on him
• Natalie Zemon Davis, Trickster Travels, New York: Hill & Wang, 2006
• Leo Africanus, a blog by Sean Jacobs
• Hassan Al Wazzan aka Leo Africanus