Priceless Writer - Travel & Recreation

Yes, Timbuktu really exists! It’s a city located in the West African nation of Mali and has somehow found its way into the popular lexicon of Americans as a far-away destination – "from here to Timbuktu." However, what may surprise you is that the region possesses a deep culture and history – all of which is stored, hidden, and treasured throughout the entire city. There are thousands upon thousands of ancient manuscripts thriving about the land, some dating back to pre-Islamic times and the 12th century.

Travelers who come to Timbuktu find an educational goldmine that touches upon the thoughts of Mali Empire wise men to astronomy to music to botany to history. Sudanic accounts from the 17th century, the ins and outs of trade, religion, law, and the sciences are also discussed in the many manuscripts of Timbuktu.

In 1970, the Mali government founded the Ahmed Baba Institute to restore some of the manuscripts and record their contents into digital form. The center has been able to collect more than 18,000 manuscripts, but it is estimated that between 300,000 and 700,000 manuscripts are located throughout the region. Some are protected by generations of inhabitants, while others are simply hidden in the desert, caves, and buried underground.

In town, there are 60 to 80 private libraries that have been preserving manuscripts in Timbuktu, including the Mamma Haidara Library, Mohamed Tahar Library, and the Fondo Kati Library, where close to 3,000 records hailing from Andalusian origin are kept – some dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. These libraries and their counterparts are part of what is known as the "African Ink Road," which stretches across West Africa to North Africa to East Africa.

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