11/24/2023 0 Comments Timbuktu manuscripts historyResearchers Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair write in the "Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture" (Oxford University Press, 2009) that around A.D. The sticks seen on the sides of the buildings serve not only an aesthetic purpose, but also as scaffolding for re-plastering the surface of the monuments. Three large mosques were constructed at Timbuktu and have become some of the most iconic monuments in the city. “The most important item exchanged for the gold was rock salt,” write Hunwick and Boye, who note that the 14th-century Arabic historian al-Umari claimed that people in West Africa “will exchange a cup of salt for a cup of gold dust,” an exaggeration, probably, but the type of story that lured later European explorers.ĭjingueré Ber (Great Mosque) in Timbuktu was originally constructed in the 1300s and reconstructed in the 1500s. 600, as evidenced by North African-style glass beads and copper found in burials in Timbuktu.”Īs Timbuktu entered the historic period this trade picked up with gold, coming from the south, passing through the city in preparation for its transport north across the Sahara to North Africa. “There are also pieces of evidence that shows that Timbuktu became part of the trans-Saharan trade by A.D. He notes that this early city had strong ties with “proto-Berber tribes” from the eastern Sahara. 200, with initial occupation dating back to the Late Stone Age,” writes Douglas Park, an archaeologist with Yale University who conducted work in Timbuktu in 2008, in the Newsletter of the West African Research Association and the West African Research Center. “Evidence from the excavations suggest that permanent large-scale urban settlements at Timbuktu may have developed as early as A.D. 1100 with archaeological work, carried out before extremists took over, suggesting that Timbuktu may have even earlier origins. Historical records indicate that the city was founded at least as early as A.D. In 2009, it had a population of about 54,000. The city is situated 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of the Niger River. Timbuktu is in the West African nation of Mali on the southern edge of the Sahara. “Some experts consider them as significant as the Dead Sea Scrolls - and an implicit rebuke to the harsh narrow views of the Islamist radicals.” Where is Timbuktu? Initiatives included the restoration of the Mosque of Komoguel, which was at risk of collapse, and the creation of the National Park of Mali in the capital, Bamako.He notes that in addition to the architectural destruction the city’s libraries, full of manuscripts, are under threat. The agreement was signed by the Aga Khan and President Amadou Toumani Toure. In 2004 His Highness the Aga Khan signed an agreement under which the AKDN launched new initiatives in the country. The city’s mosques played a critical role in the spread of Islam throughout West Africa in the 15th and 16th Centuries, according to UNESCO.Īga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Mali “Making a digital record and copy of the manuscripts is very important and for the first time we’re bringing the fruits of our labour after so many years,” he said.įor centuries Timbuktu was a cultural hub on the African continent, as well as an Islamic centre of learning. The ancient documents were originally written in medieval Arabic but have now been translated to English, French, Spanish and modern Arabic to make them more accessible, which Google Program Manager and Digital Archaeologist Chance Coughenour told the BBC was a first. It also showcases art, such as that of award-winning Abdoulaye Konaté, and an image of builders plastering the Great Mosque of Djenné, a UNESCO World Heritage site about 500km (310 miles) south of Timbuktu. It features a picture of the dance of the Dogon ethnic group. It was put together by Google, along with local and international partners. The collection, called Mali Magic, also captures Malian culture beyond the manuscripts.
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