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TBMs to Timbuktu: Timbuktu |
| Timbuktu, also spelled TOMBOUCTOU, is a city in the West African nation of Mali. It is historically important as a post on the Trans-Saharan caravan route. It is located on the southern edge of the Sahara, about 8 mi (13 km) north of the Niger River. Timbuktu was a center for the expansion of Islam, an intellectual and spiritual capital at the end of the Mandingo Askia dynasty (1493-1591) and home to a prestigious Koranic university. Three great mosques built at that time, using traditional techniques, still remain. |
| Timbuktu is now an administrative center of Mali. Small salt caravans from Taoudenni still arrive in winter, but there is no gold to offer in exchange, and Trans-Saharan commerce no longer exists. Although there is air service, the city remains most easily accessible by camel and boat. Islamic learning survives among a handful of aging scholars, and a Lyc e Franco-Arabe teaches Arabic to the younger generation. The population is approximately 32,000. |
| In 1988, Timbuktu was designated a United Nations World Heritage Site and efforts are underway to preserve and protect the city and especially its centuries-old mosques. |
| Although one might think Timbuktu to be just a "been-there, done-that" kind of visit, the city is actually rich in culture and history, and wonderfully picturesque. |
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