Who helped make Mali into a great Muslim Empire and transformed Timbuktu center of art learning?

The Mali Empire became a great Muslim empire and Timbuktu a center of art learning largely due to the efforts of Mansa Musa, who ruled from 1312 to 1337. He was a devout Muslim and made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca, where he reportedly distributed so much gold that the value of the metal fell temporarily. Musa's generosity earned him great prestige in the Islamic world, and he used this to attract many scholars, artists, and architects to Timbuktu. He also built a number of mosques and other religious structures, further solidifying Mali's status as a Muslim state.