Have you ever heard someone say “from here to Timbuktu”? What about “as far as Timbuktu”? These expressions refer to a faraway place, and historically, Timbuktu has been seen as a remote, or out-of-the-way, city. In actuality, Timbuktu is a city in present-day Mali, West Africa. It is known for being a hub of trade and knowledge and an important cultural center for Islam.
Timbuktu was founded around AD 1100 by nomadic people who moved with their livestock. These people were ancestors of the Tuareg, a group of people who still live in the area today. During its early history, Timbuktu was used as a summer encampment along the Trans-Saharan trade route. It is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, about eight miles (13 kilometers) north of the Niger River. This river was (and still is) very important to Western Africa, providing water for crops, animals, and people. It is an oasis in the very arid Sahara Desert.
A Market City
Timbuktu was a prosperous crossroad where two trade routes met. Traders who brought salt from the Sahara Desert met with traders who brought gold from the continent's interior. Traders used caravans of camels to
carry all of the goods to Timbuktu.
Horses were traded across the desert as well. These animals were used to build up the cavalry in West Africa. Cavalry soldiers fought on horseback, and with the help of these horses, they were able to conquer lands and expand empires.
Camels are very useful for desert transport because they are adapted to the arid, sandy environment. During sandstorms, they can shut their nostrils to block sand. Despite the high temperatures of the Sahara, camels can sit and rest in the hot sand because of pads of skin on their chest and knees. They can also store 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of fat in their humps, so traders do not have to worry about feeding their camels.
A Center of Learning
These trade routes served to transport goods from one place to another, but they also served as a way to spread knowledge. Books and scholarly papers were traded across the Sahara and placed in libraries. Many of these books were transported by Muslim merchants, who were also scholars.
The religion of Islam became the prominent religion in this region because of these Islamic traders. And it is said that during the 8th century, Islam made its way to this part of the world through the trade routes to Timbuktu. However, it wasn’t until the late 1300s that the city became well-known for knowledge and Islam when Timbuktu became part of the Mali Empire.
Timbuktu was also home to
an Islamic university. Muslim scholars focused on many subjects such as astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and law. During this time, the Islamic world led the way in scientific research and advancements. Years before the Renaissance in Europe, historical manuscripts were being written and studied in Timbuktu. Within its university, Roman and Greek philosophy was studied by scholars, along with local and religious texts.
Timbuktu’s role as a significant Islamic cultural site is proven by the mosques built during this time. One of the most famous was constructed during the reign of Mansa Musa. After returning from his trip, Mansa Musa built Djinguereber Mosque, which is considered one of the oldest mosques in Western Africa.
Many of these manuscripts were written in Arabic. Quite a few of our English math terms come from Arabic, such as “algebra” and “algorithm.” In fact, the numerals 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are referred to as Arabic Numberals.
Timbuktu would continue to be a center of culture and learning for many years after Mansa Musa. But its golden age finally came to an end in the 1500s with an invasion by a Moroccan king. This invasion led to the imprisonment of many scholars and the burning of non-religious books, ending Timbuktu’s reign as an important city for scholastic studies.
Timbuktu Today
While Timbuktu has faded from the spotlight, it is still an important city for the Malian people, a source of pride and culture.
In fact, in 1988, Timbuktu was esignated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage site, a place that has cultural or historical importance. Sadly, Timbuktu has twice been placed on the list of endangered sites, once in 1990 for 15 years and again in 2012 due to conflict in the area. Although Timbuktu is often remembered as a “faraway place,” there is so much more to this city’s history. In the medieval world, Timbuktu was a center of trade, culture, and learning.