Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman

Who is Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman?

Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman, often referred to as "Abu'l-Mawahib", ruled the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in present-day Tanzania, from 1310 until 1333.

Al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman was a member of the Mahdali dynasty, and oversaw a period of great prosperity in his capital city of Kilwa. He built the extensive Palace of Husuni Kubwa outside of the city and added a significant extension to the Great Mosque of Kilwa. This building activity seems to have been inspired by the Sultan's pilgrimage to Mecca, whose great buildings he wished to emulate. In 1331 the traveller Ibn Battuta visited the court of the sultan and described the Sultan's great generosity, whence stemmed the appellation "father of gifts."