Facts about Timbuktu

Timbuktu's historical monuments are being threatened by a process called desertification, wherein the harsh winds off the Sahara drive sand against them.

The physical history of the intellectual past of Timbuktu is found in the many mosques and other Islamic institutions that can be found throughout the city.

Timbuktu, while a prominent trading center, also gained recognition in the early fifteenth century as a center for intellectual and religious study.

The historical importance of Timbuktu was preserved for posterity through a system of libraries that cross the city and West Africa in general.

The constant attacks and threats of invasion prevented Timbuktu from growing into a political center, hindrances that were not shared by neighboring Gao.

The decline of Timbuktu began with the influx of Portuguese traders, who undercut the importance of Timbuktu on the Niger River by using the mouth of the river as a trading location.

Considered second-class citizens in traditional Albanian society, women performed most of the work at home and in the fields.

Timbuktu was established by the nomadic Tuareg perhaps as early as the tenth century along the caravan routes that connected the southern coast of West Africa with the trans-Saharan trade.

Timbuktu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed since 1988.

Shabeni visited Timbuktu as a 14 year old around 1787 with his father.

Timbuktu was a major stop on Henry Louis Gates' PBS special "Wonders of the African World."

Exploration of Timbuktu was often motivated by outrageous tales of wealth that glossed over the reality of the city and cemented its reputation as a mythical land of wealth.

The manuscripts housed in Timbuktu's libraries document all aspects of daily life and cover all aspects of human endeavor.

Under Songhai rule Timbuktu dramatically increased its wealth, and set itself on the road toward reaching its height in the sixteenth century.

Among the earliest descriptions of Timbuktu are those of Leo Africanus and Shabeni.

Leo Africanus is possibly the most famous author to describe life in the fabled city of Timbuktu.

Tales of Timbuktu's fabulous wealth helped prompt European exploration of the west coast of Africa.

Timbuktu's main attractions are the intellectual and religious centers that have existed in the cities for centuries.

By choosing to send goods to the Niger River's mouth instead of up the river, Portuguese traders bypassed Timbuktu leading to the deterioration of the city's economic authority.

Like its predecessor, Tiraqqa (a neighboring trading city of the Wangara), Timbuktu became immensely wealthy due to its role in the traffic of gold, ivory, slaves, and salt.

Timbuktu's prime trade position made it an obvious target for West African empires seeking to expand their wealth or control over the trade routes.

The most prominent of the Islamic institutions of Timbuktu, the University of Sankore, was established in 1581 C.E.

The main language of Timbuktu is Koyra Chiini, a variety of Songhai languages spoken by over 80 percent of its residents.

Timbuktu was the center of significant written tradition on the African continent, when by the fourteenth century they had established a system for the writing and copying of important books.

After success in the Craftsman Truck Series, Toyota moved to both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series with the Toyota Camry for 2007.

The destruction of Timbuktu was cemented with the invasion of Morisco mercenaries armed with European-style guns in the service of the Moroccan sultan in 1591.

Founded perhaps as early as the tenth century, Timbuktu is an African city in the modern day nation of Mali.

A program was set up to preserve the historical sites of Timbuktu.

The destruction of Timbuktu was cemented with the invasion of Morisco mercenaries armed with European-style guns in the service of the Moroccan sultan in 1591.