TIMBUKTU
The pearl of the desert
Timbuktu
still has a magical sound and an air of mystery. It has had
held a fascination for many explorers. Originally it was a
nomadic campement around a well ;
it became a major stop for the Azalaï ( the salt
caravans) on the Trans-Sahara Route and during the Sonrai
Empire it developed into an important commercial city, where
tradesmen from the Sahara met the tradesmen from the south.
There was an unprecedented wealth – they exported
salt, silk, spices, copper and tin and from the south
by pinasses came gold, ivory, slaves, textiles, dates,
figues etc.
Also on the cultural level Timbuktu bloomed during the reign
of Mansa Kankou Moussa.
The Sankoré mosque was extended and housed a Medersa
(university), where well known professors from Fez and Caïro
came to study.
There must have been around 25.000 students in this
university and the 180 Koran Schools (madrassa). They had
a library at their disposition, where they could find
books about theology, philosophy, law, rhetorics and Arab
languages. Professor Ahmet Baba was the major scholar of his
time.
The townscape of Timbuktu is distinghuished by the large
historic palaces of the middle class, built in the Sudanese
styles, with beautiful, heavily
decorated doors. Nowadays usually large patriarchial
grand families live there.
Even
if the city has lost its splendour of that time, you can
still see the remains of the heyday (period of glory), like:
the mosque of Sankoré:
description see above
the Djingerei-Ber Mosque:
it was built in 1325 in a
pyramid shape by a Spanish architect, assigned by
Emperor Kankou Moussa. Characteristic are its nine rows of
massiv pillars, 3 courtyards, 2 minarets and a prayer room
for 2000 people. It
is the only mosque in Mali where you can enter as a
non-Muslim.
the mosque of Sidi Yahia:
Sidi Yahia was an Imam, a benefactor and the patron of the
city in the 15th century. This mosque is the best
maintained one. It profits form a restoration project by
the Ministry of Culture.
All 3 mosques are on the list of World Inheritance
of Unesco.
the Houses of the explorers
Gordon Laing
(British, arrived in 1826), Rene
Caillié (French,
arrived in 1828) and Herinrich
Barth (German,
arrived in1853). There were 2 more explorers (American and
Australian) but their houses have been destroyed.
the library of Ahmed Baba:
in this center you can see a collection of more than 20.000
manuscripts, many of which were owned by the families in the
city. (it is believed that there are 60 privat libraries in
Timbuktu,
among which the library of Mamma Haïdara and the library
Fondo Mahmoud-Kati
and the house library of Mohamed Bagayogo).
Some of these manuscripts date from the 12th
century and
are written in Arabic and Fulani ( the language of
the local scholars). The subjects of the library range from
science to law, astronomy, botany, music, religion and
commerce. The
government has started a programme to restore these valuable
documents.
Besides the historic buildings there is:
the Well of Bouctou:
is said to be the foundation of the city; a woman, called
Bouctou, guarded the luggage of the passing tradesmen and
the well, which was called “Tin”in a local language.
The well is in the courtyard of
the
Timbuktu
Koy Batouma; the municipal museum. The
collections are mainly weapons and traditional finery,
as well as various objects of the cultures of the Songhaï,
Tamasheq, Maures and Peul.
the Art Center Yoboutawo Market:
where artisans are making tapestry nomad style,
and the
beautiful, special Tuareg jewellery. You may also find the
filigree work of straw, wax and henna; they make toys and
puppets.
the Big Market:
outside the city center; it used to be the place where the
caravaneers and tradesmen exchanged goods.
The Flame of Peace:
at the district Abaradjou.
It is a monument, commemorating the end of the
rebellion in Mali in 1996.
Around the monument are lots of rifles and four silhouettes,
holding a torch.
Visit the Sand gardens:
just outside the city you can find the small green squares,
like a mosaic scattered around the wells, where the women
grow their vegetables.
Roam the narrow streets
on your own and enjoy the city life. You will see the famous
clay ovens, where the women bring the dough. 30 minutes
later they can collect their bread,
the children
playing in the sand, the “blue men”- the Tuaregs with their
turbans, men who have the tea ceremonies, the women in their
colourful boubous,the smiles and maybe a saltcaravan, coming
into town or take a camelride into the Sahara ( at sunset
the most prettiest).
And of course:
The Festival in the Desert at Essakane,
which is held in the month of January ( see the separate
article about the Festival)
