Leo Africanus (c. 1494–c. 1552)

Berber traveller and geographer, born in the kingdom of Granada, southern Spain. He travelled extensively in northern and central Africa and Asia Minor (Turkey). While returning from Egypt he was captured at sea by Venetian pirates and taken to Rome, where he converted to Christianity and lived for many years. His account of his journeys was published in Italian by Ramusio as Descrittione dell'Africa (1550; published in English as A Geographical Historie of Africa in 1660).