African Scholarly Legacy (01:49)

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Experts discuss Africa's written tradition that predates European colonization.

Timbuktu Origins (02:20)

Founded by Muslim traders around 1,000 AD, the city prospered from trans-Saharan commerce. Learn the legend of its name.

Timbuktu Trade (01:59)

Timbuktu was a hub for caravans between North and Sub-Saharan Africa. View a reenactment of a 1592 marketplace.

Djinguereber Mosque (02:24)

Timbuktu's economic prosperity allowed spiritual and intellectual life; learn about Emperor Kankan Musa's mosque built in 1325 by an Andalusian architect.

Timbuktu Scholarship (01:22)

14th century academics learned Arabic to correspond with traders and to better understand Islam.

Sankore University (01:49)

14th century Muslim academics studied in mosques. Learn about Timbuktu's education system.

Timbuktu Manuscripts (02:34)

View 14th century religious and scientific pages written in Arabic. Literacy was universal and students voiced political opinions.

Ahmed Baba (04:17)

Learn about the 17th century scholar's background in Timbuktu. He taught law, literature, mathematics, astronomy and politics at Sankore University.

Colonizing Timbuktu (05:19)

Politically blocked by Europe and Turkey, Moroccan king al-Mansour invaded Sudan in 1578. Baba organized resistance and was among 70 scholars arrested.

Prisoner in Morocco (04:11)

Baba was transported to Marrakesh, where he was forced to do intellectual work. Moroccan colleagues lobbied al-Mansour to improve his living conditions.

Confronting a King (03:18)

Learn how Baba chastised al-Mansour for enslaving another Muslim, and gained his respect.

House Arrest (02:39)

Visit the Marrakesh home where Baba taught Moroccan scholars and spread awareness of Timbuktu's intellectual heritage.

Attack on Scholarship (02:26)

The king's son, Malway Zidan set Ahmed Baba free. Baba returned to Timbuktu to find the Moroccans had dismantled universities; he retreated until his death in 1626.

Timbuktu's Decline (01:46)

Experts present political and economic theories for the city's retreat from North African trade and scholarship.

Timbuktu's Resilience (01:23)

The desert city thrives in 2009. Residents believe isolation has protected it from epidemics and natural disasters.

Timbuktu's Scholarly Legacy (02:44)

Abdullah Abdarahim shows manuscripts inherited from his father. Family libraries are passed down through generations.

Al Wangari Library (02:34)

A Timbuktu family manuscript collection dates to 1523. Residents are proud of their African intellectual legacy.

Ahmed Baba Institute (03:11)

A Timbuktu manuscript center attracts African researchers. Mali and South Africa are funding restoration efforts; the director hopes the collection will inspire African development.

Preserving Timbuktu Manuscripts (02:18)

View footage of the Ahmed Baba Institute opening in 2009. Experts hope the ancient civilization's legacy will empower African scholars for generations.

Credits: The Manuscripts of Timbuktu (01:04)

Credits: The Manuscripts of Timbuktu