The importance of timbuktu to african heritage is priceless due to its historic position in west africa as a major knowledge hub and vibrant economic city during the 15th and 16th centuries. Mali rebels torched library of historic manuscripts this article is more than 7 years old fleeing islamist insurgents burnt two buildings containing priceless books as frenchled. The university of timbuktu is often referred to as the university of. See timbuktu novel for the book by paul auster timbuktu or timbuctu koyra chiini. In the 14 th century, timbuktu had an estimated population of 115,000 people. Christmas, who is a homeless bard who means to spread the gospel of christmas around the country. The treasures of timbuktu history smithsonian magazine. The university of timbuktu is often referred to as the university of sankore, as there are two other universities in timbuktu, jingaray ber and sidi yahya. Mansa musa visited the city and built a mosque and university in his own honor, which remained a reminder for the religion he brought to the society in 24. Quoting the french author felix dubois in his book, timbuctoo the mysterious. Timbuktu was founded by nomads in the 12th century, and it rapidly became a major trading depot for the caravans of the sahara desert.
Ancient manuscripts of mythical city of timbuktu ancient. Tumbutu, is a historical and stillinhabited city in the west african nation of mali, situated 20 km 12 mi north of the river niger on the southern edge of the sahara desert. Timbuktu is the center of islamic learning from the th century to the 17th century. Students came from all over the world to study at timbuktu. On this grand university, author felix dubois in his book timbuktu the mysterious remarked. During the 14th century, the legend of timbuktu as a rich cultural center spread through the world. Thousands of camels brought salt from deposits in the middle. Timbuktu was a center of islamic scholarship under several african empires, home to a 25,000student university and other madrasahs that served as. The number of manuscripts in the collections has been estimated as high as. Timbuktu became exposed to islam and that influenced the people. Not only did the students sought knowledge at these centers, but they also purified their souls through the sciences of islam.
It was the center for propagation of islam throughout africa. The timbuktu manuscripts mainly comprise korans, koranic exegesis, collections of hadiths, writings on sufism, theology, law and other closely related disciplines. An active trade in books between timbuktu and other parts of the islamic world led to the. The city was important for thinking and for religion in the 15th and 16th centuries. As california state universitys brent singleton, wrote. It became a focal point of the caravan trade with a focus on gold, salt and slaves along with other goods from north africa, the mediterranean, subsaharan africa, the.
It was proof of the talents, creativity and ingenuity of the african people. This book recounts the history of timbuktu and the region around it. Timbuktu is a heaven of sorts in paul austers story timbuktu. It developed out of the sankore mosque, founded in 989 by the erudite chief judge of timbuktu, alqadi aqib ibn mahmud ibn umar. At this period in african history, the university of sankore was the educational capital of the western sudan. Bones, the hero of the tale is a heinz 57 variety pooch who understands ingloosh and is owned by willie g. Common commodities traded included gold, books from local islamic scholars, and salt that was mined in the northern parts of the city. The city of timbuktu had the most universities in any nation. Timbuktu was originally a meeting place for tuareg nomads, or wandering peoples, in the sahara. Timbuktu books is an online vintage and antiquarian book business located in seattle, washington. To date, timbuktu remains a popular tourist destination given the wealth of its historical archives. The university of sankore in timbuktu was the educational capital of the western sudan.
Typically, 25,000 were at university and 20,000 were at school. The country leaders should not forget the renew old names. Timbuktu is an ancient city, now a thousand years old, it has been building up a stock of myths, legends and culture culled from the history and habits of the different groups to populate it and control it over the centuries. The tombouctou manuscripts project at the university of cape town uct is dedicated to research various aspects of writing and reading the handwritten works of timbuktu and beyond. I also sell many other types of nonfiction, as well as literature, first editions, leatherbound volumes, authorsigned volumes, original manuscripts, and images. Facts that show timbuktu is one of the most fascinating. It was important in spreading islam through africa at that time. From the early 14th to late 16th centuries timbuktu was famous for its wealth. Training young researchers is an integral part of its work. At its height the university of timbuktu enrolled 25,000 students a year. It grew rich, between the gold mines to the south and.
Home to the sankore university and many schools, timbuktu contributed a legacy of written scholarship which has survived through the centuries. The collections include manuscripts about art, medicine, philosophy, and science, as well as copies of the quran. These eventually gave way to more permanent houses. Christmas, who is a homeless bard who means to spread the gospel of christmas around the country but sometimes becomes trapped in fits of. Reading homework printable skills sheets and texts.
Matt rosenberg is an awardwinning geographer and the author of the handy geography answer book and the geography bee complete preparation handbook. More sophisticated methods of adjudication and political administration, were also established. The university of sankore, timbuktu muslim heritagemuslim. But sources indicate that timbuktu began as a settlement of nomads around 1100. This sendhome passage about the history of an african city helps kids explain events in a historical text based on specific information in the text. The town is the capital of the timbuktu region, one of the eight administrative. An active trade in books between timbuktu and other parts of the islamic world led to the writing of thousands. The tombouctou manuscripts project, first conceptualised in 2002, was officially established in 2003 to research and document manuscript tradition in africa. But an exciting find in timbuktu has uncovered thousands of manuscripts dating from the 18th and 14th centuries, pointing to the great libraries of timbuktu where western scholars travelled to study.
The students sat in classes of renowned professors. Timbuktu manuscripts or tombouctou manuscripts is a blanket term for the large number of historically important manuscripts that have been preserved for centuries in private households in timbuktu, mali. The most famous scholar of timbuktu was ahmad baba assudane 15641627, the final chancellor of sankore university. Centuries ago, timbuktu sometimes called the city of 333 saints was most famous as a center of scholarship. Foreign academics and book restorers have arrived in timbuktu, providing expertise, money and materials to rescue the manuscripts before it is too late. The university of timbuktu is a collective term for the teaching associated with three mosques. Its long history as a trading outpost that linked black africa below the sahara desert with berber and islamic traders throughout north africa, and thereby indirectly with traders from europe, has given it a fabled status. The rapid economic process within the th and 14th centuries thank to trade salt, gold, ivory, and other things positioned the legendary city together of the best academic and commercial centers within the world. Sankore university and other madrasas are in the city. Connected with the niger by a series of canals, timbuktu is served by the small river port of kabara. The sankore mosque in timbuktu attracted many scholars.
This name university of timbuktou should be the name of mali university now. Timbuktu is a symbol of africa and her civilization. It had three great mosques that represent this age. The mosque of the university of sankore was highly distinguished for the teaching of koranic theology and law, besides other subjects such as astronomy and mathematics. Tombouctou is the french spelling for timbuktu, and other spellings have included timbuktoo and timbuctoo, and due to the mythical and mysterious way it has been. The university of timbuktu produced thousands of black african scholars and leaders of the highest rank, character and nobility. The city was once home to nearly 100,000 ancient manuscripts, some dating back to the 12th century, preserved in family homes and private libraries. The legacy of timbuktu, africas oldest university celebrating being. At the center of the city was the university of timbuktu, one of the oldest universities in world history, being found in the 12th century ad. While we celebrate the african universities that emerged during the colonial era, we must look beyond and reclaim the glory of timbuktu as a pre colonial great. Sankore university developed out of the sankore mosque, financed by a wealthy lady in the 10 th century.
Timbuktu also tombouctou or timbuctu is a tuareg city on the niger river in the country of mali understand. A short history of timbuktu outlook india magazine. Timbuktu is a city located on the sands of the sahara desert in mali, northwest africa, and in 2009, it had a population of nearly 54,500 individuals. A major part of timbuktus culture revolved around education and sophistication. Timbuktu is an old city of great significance, whose name is the most recognizable in the history of africa. By the 15th century, timbuktu scholars were producing original works as well as compiling new versions and commentaries on established texts. Other articles where university of sankore is discussed. Timbuktu is where the sahara meets the savannah and is close to the niger river at its northernmost reach. Important books were written and copied in timbuktu in the 14th century. He penned over 60 books on various subjects including law, medicine, philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, etc. Timbuktu was founded in 1100 by tuareg nomads as a seasonal trading post and camp for gold, salt, ivory, kola nuts and slaves. Timbuktu may be a city within the west african country of mali situated 20 kilometers 12 miles north of the river niger on the southern fringe of the sahara. My offerings are focused on travel, adventure, history, and exploration. The university of timbuktu studied islam n the 15th and 16th centuries.
At this level, the studies were of higher learning and mastery and are comparable to any university in the islamic world. It was also a center of islamic culture from about 1400 to 1600. Timbuktu is a city in mali, in west africa, that was founded 1,800 years ago. The university of timbuktu in mali was situated in a city that was already. Tombouctou is a city populated by the songhay, tuareg, fulani, and moorish people in the west african country of mali. About ad it was no more than a well next to a sand dune. Visiting strangers were treated like royalty in hopes that theyd share their knowledge and books with timbuktus scholars. He was a matchless jurist, professor, and imam of his time. The ghanian empire, the malian empire, the songai empire, the toucouleur jihads, the repeated domination by the tuareg. The story has two protagonists, and it is an interesting pairing.
Timbuktu manuscripts, evidence of africas glorious past. An active trade in books between timbuktu and other parts of the islamic world led to the writing of thousands of manuscripts. Timbuktu was founded as a seasonal camp by the tuareg about 1100, when nomad tents were replaced by straw huts. I always knew timbuktu tombouctou in mali because of the story of the great emperor of the kingdom of mali, mansa kankan musa. The university of timbuktu was associated with three mosques and made timbuktu an important centre for when it came to the propagation of islamic culture. The university of timbuktu in mali was situated in a city that was already thriving in the 12th century. Sankore was one of the most important departments of the university in this regard. Temple university press, philadelphia 1996, isbn 9781 566394031.
Ahmad baba al massufi 15561627, a student of mohammed bagayogo and the author of more than 40 books. Timbuktu manuscripts, evidence of africas glorious past it has been said that black africa had no written tradition. Timbuktu, one of the worlds first and oldest university. The scholars of timbuktoo yielded in nothing to the saints and their sojourns in the foreign universities of. I knew it was the center of his empire, but it is only lately that i realized that it was one of the worlds first and oldest thriving university. During the cities golden age, books became the most valuable commodity. The university of sankore is located in the north east district of timbuktu and housed within the sankore mosque. Timbuktu sankore university mali journey to the source. The djingareyber mosque was initially built when sultan kankan moussa had returned from a pilgrimage to mecca, but was reconstructed between 1570 and 1583 by imam al aqib, who was the qadi of timbuktu. Timbuktu is a slim book and yet is a deeply affecting tale with paul austers wonderful prose.
It is often said to lie on the river niger, but is actually 20 kilometres north of the river its geographical setting made it a natural meeting point for settled african. Black scholars were enjoying a renaissance that was known and respected throughout most of africa and in parts of europe. The word timbuktu or timbuctoo or tombouctou is used in several languages to represent a faraway place, but. It was a trading center for several ancient empires. Over the past seven years a project team has been involved in the study of manuscript tradition in africa, including manuscript translation, digitalisation and historical studies of book and library traditions. At one time, timbuktu was thought of as merely a figure of ones imagination or a legend that really didnt exist. Timbuktu, city in the western african country of mali, historically important as a trading post on the transsaharan caravan route and as a center of islamic culture c. Timbuktu, city in the western african country of mali, historically important as a. It is located on the southern edge of the sahara, about 8 miles km north of the niger river.