fl. 1060s

Spanish Arab traveler who visited West Africa in about 1067, and wrote about his travels in Al-Masalik wa'l-mamalik. The latter is notable for its description of the kingdom of Ghana, particularly its great wealth, the power of its king, and the potential for trouble posed by the society's division between centers of Islam and traditional African religions. Al-Bekri's account is particularly valuable because in 1080, just a few years after his visit, Moroccan invaders conquered Ghana and destroyed its civilization.