NATCHEZ, Miss. — A new brochure telling the story of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima (1762-1829) — and mapping key sites tied to his life in Natchez and Adams County — is now available free to the public.
The publication, titled “Prince Ibrahima: A Profile and Self-Guided Tour,” was produced by Visit Natchez and funded by a $2,111 mini-grant awarded in 2024 by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
“The Mississippi Humanities Council is pleased to support this project that highlights one of Mississippi’s most remarkable stories,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “This brochure is part of Natchez’s ongoing effort to uplift its full history and challenge simplistic or incomplete accounts of its past.”
The pocket-sized tour guide features a biographical profile of Ibrahima, along with a list of key sites tied to his life in Natchez and Adams County, including places he visited and related gravesites. A map and photographs of the selected sites are included.
The brochure was designed by Dustin Hinkle of Open Market Design Company and printed by Catherine Murray of Murray Printing.
Lynsey Gilbert, interim director of Visit Natchez, said she and her staff are excited about the publication, as are many others in the community.
“This is a beautifully designed publication that meets a real need in our community,” she said. “It tells an important story. At the same time, it is practical in that it allows readers to literally visit the places frequented by Prince Ibrahima. We invite everyone to pick up a copy and start engaging with this vital piece of Natchez’s history.”
Gilbert noted that the prince’s story is published as a convenient, easy-to-use resource for self-guided tours. It is available in print and online at the Visit Natchez website.
Bobby Dennis, director of the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, said the prince’s legacy remains an essential part of Natchez’s history. Among other things, he said, “The story of the prince’s life in Natchez shows the amount of knowledge and skills a man had before his enslavement.”
Mayor Dan M. Gibson welcomed the brochure, saying it aligns with the city’s broader efforts to share its complete history.
“The story of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima is one of the most remarkable stories in all of Natchez history,” he said. “This new brochure not only honors his legacy but also invites residents and visitors to learn more about Natchez as we continue to tell all of our stories.”
Ibrahima, who was Muslim, was a highly educated Fulani prince and military leader, from Timbo, in the Futa Jallon region of present-day Guinea, West Africa. He was captured in 1788 and sold to slave traders. He spent 40 years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez before gaining his freedom in 1828 with the help of Andrew Marschalk, known as the “Father of Mississippi Journalism,” and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay during the administration of President John Quincy Adams.
Copies of “Prince Ibrahima: A Profile and Self-Guided Tour” are available at the following locations:
* NAPAC Museum, 301 Main St.
* Visit Natchez at The Depot Visitor Center, 200 N. Broadway St.
* Visit Natchez, 500 Main St., Suite 1
* Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St.
* Natchez City Hall, 124 S. Pearl St.
* Natchez City Sightseeing Tours (in the lobby of The Natchez Grand Hotel), 111 N. Broadway St.
The Prince Ibrahima brochure may also be downloaded at https://visitnatchez.org/wp-content/uploads/website-11×17-Ibrahima-Brochure-2026-FINAL.pdf
For more information, call Roscoe Barnes III at Visit Natchez at 601-492-3004.
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