Timbuktu, Mali, was a major center of Muslim and African culture in the 14th and 15th centuries, with thousands of traders passing through it every day. The city’s population and influence declined after being sacked in the 16th century, and it is now threatened by desertification and the Sahara. Timbuktu’s architecture is characterized by the use of mud as a building material, and it is home to several famous mosques. The United Nations designated it as a World Heritage Site in 1988 and as a Site in Danger in 1990. The city has sought to preserve its heritage through cooperation with international organizations.
The city of Timbuktu is located in the African nation of Mali, near the Niger River. As the city’s population and influence declined, Timbuktu was at one point a major seat of Muslim and African culture, with thousands of traders passing through it every day to trade goods such as gold, salt, spices, silk and perfumes. Founded by Tuareg nomads in the 11th century as an encampment, Timbuktu reached its peak in the 14th century when it was integrated into the Mali empire and was sacked by invaders in the 16th. Since then Timbuku’s population has declined and the famous city is further threatened by desertification and the Sahara, which deposits tons of sand on the city each year through dust storms.
The word Timbuktu comes from the language spoken by Tuareg nomads: the archaic English spelling is Timbuktu. Related to Berbers and other Arab traders, the Tuaregs speak Timbuktu Tamasheq, a dialect that is known today to only a handful of speakers but was once spoken by many others. Although English speakers associate the city with remoteness and mystery, it was well known to Arabs and other traders when it served as a center of culture and commerce during the 14th and 15th centuries.
Timbuktu’s location near the Niger River makes it a natural choice for trade and also provides the citizens with sustenance and shelter. Timbuktu’s architecture is characterized by the use of mud as a building material, with most buildings low to the ground with gently rounded edges and flat roofs. Citizens often use rooftops as an outdoor room and workspace, when sandstorms don’t make the outdoors too dangerous. Timbuktu is also home to several famous mosques, including Sankore, Djingareyber and Sidi Yahya, all made of the characteristic mud that characterizes buildings in Timbuktu.
The growing threat to Timbuktu from the sands of the Sahara led the United Nations to designate it as a World Heritage Site in 1988 and as a Site in Danger in 1990. This designation has allowed the city to obtain assistance in the restoration of famous buildings such as the Djingareyber . Sidi Yahya, with its Moorish-influenced architecture, is still in use as an active mosque and is in good condition. Sankore is in very poor condition, although the distinctive pyramid-shaped mihrab is still intact. Islamic scholars are hoping to restore the mosque, which was once at the heart of the University of Timbuktu, the seat of Islamic learning in the city.
Due to desertification and related problems, Timbuktu is a very difficult city to live in. The hot dry harmattan wind brings colossal amounts of sand into the city every year which threatens homes, agriculture and water supplies as well as damaging the famous architectural features of the city. The city has sought to preserve its heritage through cooperation with international organizations and established the Ahmed Baba Center in 1974 to preserve priceless Muslim manuscripts from Timbuktu’s famous libraries.
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