Timbuktu

 Timbuktu

Timbuktu is a Malian oasis city with approx. 55,000 inhabitants, it is a legendary city and, according to the Chronicles of Timbuktu, which were written much later, in the 17th century, it was settled before 1100 AD by nomadic Massufa Tuareg on a Watering hole established near the Niger Bend. Today it is synonymous with the phrase 'completely remote', but this wasn't always the case, as Timbuktu was a major religious, cultural and commercial center for more than 600 years. There was a special treasure in Timbuktu. It wasn't gold and it wasn't precious stones either - but old manuscripts, because Timbuktu was considered the city of books. Every self-respecting family invested in their library. Already Mansa Musa, who ruled over Mali from 1312 to 1337, Supposedly brought back a camel load of manuscripts from his pilgrimage. Timbuktu was famous for educating eminent scholars who were well known throughout the Islamic world. Many individuals traveled to the city to gain knowledge; others came to acquire wealth and political power. Located on the edge of the Sahara, Timbuktu was famous among the merchants of the Mediterranean basin as a market for acquiring goods and products from sub-desert Africa. However, Timbuktu's most famous and long-lasting contribution to Islamic and world civilization is the scholarship practiced there. Important books were written and copied there from at least the 14th century, making the city the center of a significant written tradition in Africa. These ancient manuscripts cover every aspect of human endeavor. The manuscripts indicate the high level of civilization of the West Africans in the Middle Ages and are irrefutable proof of a strong literary tradition in Africa. Scholars in Islamic Studies and African Studies believe that analysis of these texts will lead to a reappraisal of Islamic, West African and world history. Dating back to the 14th century, these manuscripts are remarkable artefacts important to Malian and West African culture. The manuscripts on display date from the 16th to 18th centuries. The manuscripts on display are from the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library and the Library of Cheick Zayni Baye of Boujbeha, two of the most notable institutions in the Timbuktu region. As part of its ongoing effort to create a universal collection of recorded knowledge from all geographies and all historical eras, the Library of Congress is particularly proud to display these important cultural artifacts from Mali. The library is also pleased that copies of these manuscripts will be deposited in their collections and will be available for researchers and scholars to use. The Ahmed Baba Center was both a library and a research center. It was founded in 1973 with a lot of money from South Africa, and the new building that has now been destroyed was only opened three years ago. What role does the Timbuktu Center for Written Culture play? Many books are still privately owned by families. But the Ahmed Baba Center houses the most important collection of scriptures in Timbuktu because it is so comprehensive. It is also a place for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. Linguists, lawyers, theologians, calligraphers come there and see things from their perspective. Together they get a complete picture and can piece by piece reconstruct the history of the region. And by region I don't mean northern Mali, but also Mauritania, Senegal and Nigeria; a large part of what we now call the Sahel. Calligraphers come there and look at things from their perspective. Together they get a complete picture and can piece by piece reconstruct the history of the region. And by region I don't mean northern Mali, but also Mauritania, Senegal and Nigeria; a large part of what we now call the Sahel. Calligraphers come there and look at things from their perspective. Together they get a complete picture and can piece by piece reconstruct the history of the region. And by region I don't mean northern Mali, but also Mauritania, Senegal and Nigeria; a large part of what we now call the Sahel.

What is the significance of the Timbuktu manuscripts beyond the region? We already have many memory gaps in Africa. Because the use of writing was not widespread, we know little about the history of the continent. The writings of Timbuktu are central to filling these gaps. They document the culture, trade, travel and openness that has existed here. In a way, Timbuktu is the memory of Africa. Around 30,000 books were in the library. What were those writings? Legal writings, scientific, literary. It is a great variety that reflects the culture of the Middle and Far East of the past centuries. The books came from Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, even Andalusia. Many works date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Others are even younger, from the 20th century. Among the most valuable pieces are early 12th and 13th century copies of the Koran and other religious texts. The writings on Islamic law are probably the most important. What makes the books and scrolls so valuable? On the one hand, there are objects that have been preserved and protected for centuries. Each generation passed it on to the next. Then there is the aesthetic aspect. Of course there are thousands of copies of the Koran. But when I hold a copy from the 12th century, with beautiful calligraphy and flourishes, it is unique. But the greatest loss if books were truly destroyed would be the ideas that were thought and written down. Most of the manuscripts and scrolls have not yet been cataloged. If the original is damaged or destroyed, there is no copy anywhere. The knowledge would be lost. When the Europeans came, they soon started collecting our old manuscripts and bringing them to Europe. When our ancestors found out, they hid their handwriting. Some buried them. Others have taken them deep into the heart of the Sahara. The vast majority of manuscripts were hidden somewhere during the colonial period.” Some buried them. Others have taken them deep into the heart of the Sahara. The vast majority of manuscripts were hidden somewhere during the colonial period.” Some buried them. Others have taken them deep into the heart of the Sahara. The vast majority of manuscripts were hidden somewhere during the colonial period.”

Then the missionaries and researchers came, they wanted to study the Africans and tell their stories. So they talked to the griots, the storytellers. But they just couldn't find written sources anywhere. And so they then wrote in their books and magazines that there was no written history in Africa. Oral traditions only. This image of Africa has survived to this day. A whole continent - uneducated, wild and cultureless. Haïdara is convinced that this prejudice can be refuted with the manuscripts from Timbuktu. For centuries, people in Timbuktu have written and collected texts on every imaginable subject. And after independence, these works were brought to light again after decades of persuasion and research. And the more texts the researchers found, the clearer it became: the library is by no means a purely Arabic cultural heritage. There are also texts in Bambara, Dogon, Peul, Songhay or Bozo. In this respect, the Timbuktu library is much more than the memory of an old Arab caravan town on the southern edge of the Sahara. It's a pan-African legacy, proof that the continent wasn't barren and empty before the arrival of Europeans.