`, tĭmbŭk`t), city (1987 pop. 31,925), central Mali, near the Niger River. Connected with the Niger by a series of canals, Timbuktu is served by the small river port of Kabara. Its salt trade and handicraft industries make it an important meeting place for the nomadic people of the Sahara. Timbuktu was founded (11th cent.) by the Tuareg Tuareg or Touareg (both: twä`rĕg), Berbers of the Sahara, numbering c.2 million...... Click the link for more information. as a seasonal camp. By the 14th cent., when it was part of the Mali empire (see History under Mali Mali (mä`lē), officially Republic of Mali, independent republic (2005 est. pop.
..... Click the link for more information. ), it had become one of the major commercial centers of the W Sudan region, famous for its gold trade. Under the Songhai Songhai or Songhay (both: sŏng`gī`), largest of the former empires in the western Sudan region of N Africa.
..... Click the link for more information. empire (15th and 16th cent.) the city was a great Muslim educational center, with more than 100 Qur'anic schools and a university centered at the Sankoré mosque, one of three great mosques there that are outstanding examples of local earthen buildings. Timbuktu was sacked in 1593 by invaders from Morocco and never again recovered its leading position. It was repeatedly conquered by neighboring peoples until it was captured (1894) by the French. In recent years it has been threatened by the desertification of the surrounding region. The Ahmed Baba Center preserves many manuscripts from the Mali and Songhai empires.
Timbuktu
French TombouctouTown (pop., 1998: 31,973), Mali, on the southern edge of the Sahara near the Niger River. Founded c. AD 1100 by Tuareg nomads, it became an important post on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. After it was incorporated within the Mali empire, probably in the late 13th century, it became a centre of Islamic culture (c. 1400–1600). It reached its apex as a commercial and cultural centre under Songhai rule c. 1500 but declined rapidly after being conquered by Moroccan forces in the late 16th century. The French captured it in 1894. It became part of independent Mali in 1960. The town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.
Timbuktu
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Timbuktu
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