African Muslim Roots in Ancient America : Historical Vestiges of the Great Sea Journey of Mansa Kankan Abu Bakr II (ca. 712 H/1312 CE) Umar F. Abd-Allah

Two Adjacent Worlds The Equatorial Currents (Marine Conveyor Belts) The Great Sea Currents

Tell-Tale Signs of Africa in Ancient America: The Olmecs (around 700 BCE)

Olmec Heartland: Contact Point of The Equatorial Current

The Olmec Heads

The Empire of Mali under Mansa Abu Bakr II (ca )

The Account of al-‘Umari in Masalik al-Absar

A West African Tale of the Western Ocean (1312) The Fleets of the African Muslim Emperor Abu Bakr II, Predecessor of Mansa Kankan Musa The Account: … Our King Abu Bakr II did not believe that it was impossible to reach the furthest limit of the ocean sea. He wanted to attain the sea’s most distant limit and fell in love with the idea. He prepared 200 ships and filled them with men. An equal number of ships, he filled with gold, water, and provisions—enough to last them for years. He said to the travelers on them: “Do not come back until you have reached the furthest limit of [the sea] or your provisions and water have run out.” They left and were gone for a long time. … Then King Abu Bakr II prepared 2,000 more boats, 1,000 for himself and the men he would take with him and 1,000 for provisions and water. He set out on the ocean sea with those who were with him and sailed on it. That was the last we knew of Abu Bakr and all his men….”

Mandingo Markings in Ancient America: Mixtec Mexican Terracottas (early 1300s)

Classical pre-Columbian Muslim-like Portrait from Peru

Cortez and the Conquest of Mexico ( ) He called Yucatan “Cairo”: He believed he had discovered part of the Islamic Empire. He reported that the Aztec Capital had mosques: “In this great city there are many mosques, houses of idols, and many beautiful buildings…”.

Leopold Wiener (Princeton University s) Mandingo words in American Indian languages

Fuat Sezgin (Frankfurt University) Pre-Columbian Muslim maps of the American coast

Conclusion