I have finally learned some things about Timbuktu. I have never talked about it in school before or really have ever heard anything about it, except for when I was little. I never learned anything about it until now.
Timbuktu is a city in Mali right by the Niger River. Timbuktu flourished in economic growth due to the Saharan trade routes for salt, gold, ivory and other materials. This centered the city as one of the greatest academic and commercial centers in the world. In the 15th and 16th centuries proved fertile ground for religion, the arts and sciences.
Timbuktu became a great Muslim educational center. The University of Sankore was one of the first universities of the world which was superior to all the other Islamic centers of the world. It was considered the beacon of Islamic knowledge and drew thousands of scholars from around the world. This led to the many writings of manuscripts. Soon, books became the most valuable commodity of trade. Timbuktu housed more than 700,000 manuscripts, forming a priceless written record of African History.
A very interesting thing that I found out about Timbuktu is that it is also known as the city of the 333 saints because 333 saints were laid to rest in the city. These were scholars who were celebrated for their exceptional wisdom, generosity, and scholarship. Many Muslim pilgrims traveled to Timbuktu to honor these scholars.
Tales of Timbuktu’s fabulous wealth are was one of the reasons metal-hungry Europeans came searching the west coast of Africa for riches. Before the Europeans arrived, Timbuktu had declined economically. When European travelers didn’t find the gold they were looking for and instead found how difficult it was to get there, the city’s reputation shifted from being fabled because of its gold to being fabled because of its location and mystery. Being used in this sense since at least 1863, English dictionaries now cite Timbuktu as a metaphor for any faraway place
Timbuktu is recognized as a world heritage site. Three mosques and 16 mausoleums or cemeteries were selected for World Heritage status. With inclusion came the call for protection of the buildings’ conditions, an exclusion of new construction works near the sites and measures against the encroaching sand.
If my parents said they send me off to Timbuktu now, well I wouldn't mind going there for a while. Its a very interesting place with a lot of historical background.
http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/09/04/8-facts-show-timbuktu-one-fascinating-cities-history/3/
