Rabat, May 23 -- Other historical figures have been sadly left out of the limelight, leaving us ignorant of their stories and lasting influence. One such legend is Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi. Al-Fasi was welcomed by Pope Leo X at the Papal headquarters in Rome, having been captured in 1518 while returning home from Pilgrimage.

"A man with art and knowledge is always welcomed among us, not as a servant but as a protector," said Pope Leo X to Hasan al-Wazzan as a welcoming speech.

The description paints Hasan al-Wazzan as no average man, bestowing on the traveler his widely famous family name, Leo de' Medici, as a show of respect and acceptance. The globetrotter name, thus, became 'Leo Africanus.'

The name de Medici, Pope Leo's...