The story of Christopher Columbus is well-known: in 1492, he sailed from Spain and accidentally stumbled upon the Americas while aiming for India. Believing he had reached his intended destination, he called the indigenous people “Indians.” However, some researchers argue that Arabs and Muslims may have discovered the Americas long before Columbus, with claims suggesting an arrival as early as the 8th century.
These theories propose that Muslim sailors, particularly from Islamic Spain, might have set out from the port of Delba (modern-day Pelos) during the reign of Caliph Abdullah Ibn Mohammed between 888 and 912. Some historians believe that these sailors reached new lands across the Atlantic.
The writings of Abul-Hassan Al-Masudi, a Muslim historian, support this notion. Al-Masudi documented the journey of a navigator who crossed the ocean and discovered a new land rich with treasure. In his writings, he included a map where a large, uncharted territory is drawn across the Atlantic, labeled the “unknown territory.” Many scholars interpret this as a representation of the Americas.
Al-Masudi’s map, illustrating the “unknown territory,” has been cited by proponents of early Muslim contact with the Americas as evidence of a pre-Columbian discovery. The map, with its enigmatic portrayal of lands across the Atlantic, continues to stir debate about whether these lands could be the Americas.
West African Muslim influence in the New World
Columbus famously landed on what is now known as the Bahamas on October 12, 1492, renaming the island that its native inhabitants had called “Guanahani.” Some suggest that the island’s original name might derive from Arabic, with “Guana” meaning “brothers” and “Hani” being a common Arabic name, potentially translating to “Hani Brothers.”
Furthermore, in Honduras, a local tribe was known as “Almamy,” which bears a striking resemblance to the Arabic word “Al-Imam,” meaning a religious leader. Harvard scholar Leo Wiener also speculated that these linguistic similarities point to West African Muslims who had traveled to the Americas and intermarried with indigenous peoples.
Additional claims of Muslim presence in the Americas were presented in a 1996 article by historian and scientist Dr. Youssef Mroueh. Marking a thousand years of Muslim history in the Americas, Dr. Mroueh discussed various pieces of evidence that support the theory of early Muslim visitors.
Barry Fell’s hypotheses of Arab presence in early America
Australian archaeologist and marine biologist Dr. Barry Fell contributed to this debate in his book Saga America, where he highlighted cultural and linguistic similarities between Native Americans and West African Muslim communities. Fell even claimed to have discovered ancient Islamic carvings, or petroglyphs, in the southwestern United States. One carving allegedly contained the Arabic phrase “Yasus bin Maria” (Jesus son of Mary), which is also found in the Quran.
Despite these claims, many professional archaeologists have expressed skepticism. They argue that Fell’s methods, while applicable in marine biology, lacked the rigorous standards required in archaeology. His interpretations and conclusions have been widely criticized within the academic community.
Arab documentary explores Pre-Columbian contact
Further supporting the idea of early Muslim contact is a documentary by Saudi filmmaker Khalid Abualkair, titled We Discovered America Before Columbus. This film examines the possibility that Muslims from al-Andalus (modern-day Andalusia) and the Kingdom of Mali made voyages to the Americas long before Columbus.
One prominent source for this theory is historian Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo y Maura, the 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia, who became known as the “Red Duchess” for her defiance of Spanish dictator Franco. Through her research, the Duchess uncovered references to New World plants, such as maize and peppers, in her family’s extensive archives—evidence that, she argued, pointed to Muslim contact with the Americas prior to Columbus. She published two books, including It Wasn’t Us, to outline her controversial theory, especially during the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s journey.
Another potential connection is the story of Abu Bakr II, the 14th-century ruler of Mali. According to Abualkair’s documentary, Abu Bakr II may have led expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa, seeking new lands. His exploits add further intrigue to the possibility of pre-Columbian Muslim presence in the Americas.
While these claims remain highly contested and debated, the idea of Muslim contact with the Americas before Columbus continues to captivate the imagination of historians, archaeologists, and filmmakers alike.