But soon, Timbuktu found itself under threat when the Moroccan Saadian dynasty invaded the Songhai Empire in the late 16th century. Askia Muhammad, a military leader from the Malian city of Gao, reigned from 14 and fortified the Islamic learning tradition in Timbuktu that his predecessors had set forth.

The Mali Empire declined in the 15th century, and was replaced by the Songhai Empire. Griots continue to practice today and include Malian musicians such as kora player Toumani Diabaté, who can trace his griot lineage to the Golden Age of Islam. Much like Islamic scholarship and bookmaking in Timbuktu, the role of a griot was only passed down through lineage and was acquired through extensive apprenticeship. Griots originated from the same Mandinka ethnic group that Sundiata hailed from and were responsible for composing his epic. The practice mirrors the West African tradition of oral histories passed down by griots, esteemed West African musicians and storytellers who were the keepers of the history of the empires and royal families. It is not surprising that books in Timbuktu were prized possessions that were passed down from generation to generation. Knowledge Passed Down Through Books-And Oral HistoriesĪ view of an ancient manuscript from Timbuktu. For example, while Cairo and Mecca maintained an open access policy to its mosque libraries, the libraries of Timbuktu all seem to have been private collections of individual scholars or families, according to Singleton. Timbuktu was also unique from other major Islamic cities during the Golden Age of Islam. Abdel Kader Haidara, a Malian scholar who oversees the preservation of over 350,000 manuscripts from this era, says that “in addition to the academic and scholarly literature, there are many parts that contain poetry and dedications to women.” Haidara adds that women have prominent roles in maintaining Malian heritage and contribute to the meticulous work of preserving ancient manuscripts. The knowledge contained within the books reflected the fabric of Malian society. Singleton writes that “in Timbuktu, literacy and books transcended scholarly value and symbolized wealth, power, and baraka (blessings),” and that the acquisition of books specifically “is mentioned more often than any other display of wealth.” In his article African Bibliophiles: Books and Libraries in Medieval Timbuktu, California State University, San Bernardino librarian Brent D. Mosques and schools proliferated in Timbuktu, mirroring what was found in the other flourishing Islamic cities of Cairo and Mecca. Together, these three centers of learning, or Madrasas, still function today as Koranic Sankore University, making it the oldest higher-education facility in Sub-Saharan Africa. Later in the 15th century, when the Tuareg ruler Akil Akamalwa came to power in the Mali empire, he built the great Sidi Yahya mosque. Mansa Musa I then built the Djinguereber Mosque, paying the renowned Islamic scholar Abu Ishaq Al Saheli 200 kilograms of gold to oversee its construction. While the Tuaregs built the first mosque, the Sankoré Mosque, in Timbuktu in the 1100s A.C., Mansa Musa I made significant improvements to it, inviting important Islamic scholars, or Ulama, to enhance its prestige.

The mausoleum was among several restored following damage by al Qaeda-linked insurgents in 2012. Sane Chirfi, who represents the family which looks after the mausoleum of Alpha Moya in Timbuktu, in front of the mausoleum. Madrasas Built for Worship and Scholarship Malian rulers also built great mosques, not only for spiritual practice, but also as centers of learning of mathematics, law, grammar, history, geography, astronomy and astrology. Powerful West African kings and Islamic leaders traveled from far and wide to Timbuktu to trade, learn and foster strong political allies.īy the 16th century, Timbuktu hosted 150 to 180 Qur’anic schools, or Maktabs. Under Mansa Musa I and his successors, Timbuktu transformed from a small but successful trading post into a center of commerce and scholarship, making the Mali empire one of the most influential of the Golden Age of Islam. And when Islam came to Tuareg societies as early as the 8th century, the Tuaregs passed along the religion through trading posts like Timbuktu, facilitating connections between Arab-Islamic and West African peoples. Powerful West African kingdoms and the pastoralist Tuaregs of the Southern Sahara traded here. Timbuktu had been a seasonal trading post established in 1100 A.C., where the Saharan Desert and the Niger Delta meet, creating a lush and lucrative agricultural zone.

Mansa Musa I was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa from 1312 to 1337.

Ancient timbuktu manuscripts