Askia Muhammad was a pious man and soon established Islam as the religion of the nobles. When Gao became the official capital of the Empire, and Islam was adopted as its official religion, Muhammad ordered the construction of what is now known as the Tomb of Askia. The centerpiece of the ...
Muhammad I Askia, West African statesman and military leader who usurped the throne of the Songhai empire (1493) and, in a series of conquests, greatly expanded the empire and strengthened it. He was overthrown by his son, Askia Musa, in 1528. Learn more