Sundiata Keita was a prince and founder of the Mali Empire. The Malian ruler Mansa Musa, who made a pilgrimage to Mecca, was his great-nephew.
Written sources augment the Mande oral histories, with the Moroccan traveller Muhammad ibn Battúta and the Tunisian historian ibn Khaldun both having travelled to Mali in the century after Sundiata's death, and providing independent verification of his existence. The semi-historical but legendary Epic of Sundiata by the Malinké/Maninka people centers on his life. The epic poem is primarily known through oral tradition, transmitted by generations of Maninka griots. The Manden Charter issued during his reign is listed by UNESCO as one of the an intangible cultural heritage.