In the 14th century, Timbuktu was the richest city in the world, with a university and a rich collection of books. In the 14th century, Timbuktu had five times the population of London at that time.

During Musa's reign, Timbuktu became a center of learning and culture, attracting scholars from the Muslim world, especially historians, jurists, and theologians, who laid the foundation for the still in existence University of Sankore (Sankore Madrasah), a Koranic institution widely known in the Muslim world (along with Al-Azhar in Cairo, Al-Karawijjin in Fez, and the theological schools - madrassas - in Cairo and Córdoba).