Timbuktu City

Timbuktu City is located in the Tombouctou Region, Mali. The city is the home for several madrasas(arabic for educational institution) and Sankore University. The city is Africa’s spiritual capital and the main center for Islam between the 15th and 16th centuries. The city features three major mosques which are Sankore, Sidi Yahya and Djingareyber.

The people here are Fulani, Songhay, Mande and Tuareg. The Timbuktu City has also contributed a lot for Islam and it is also the first place in the world to feature a university. Timbuktu also features a number of texts belonging to the ancient Greek period and these texts were copied and written in the books belonging to the 14th century.

Timbuktu was founded in the 10th century by the nomadic Tuaregs. At this period the city prospered and a number of buildings were built and the only means of traveling is by a camel. In the 13th and 14th centuries Timbuktu had emerged as a major port city. In the year 1581 the Sankore University was built and it became a major center for Islam.

In the present day, Timbuktu is a modern town and one of the major tourist spots with an international airport. In the year 1988 Timbuktu was also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The major places to be seen here are

Djinguereber Mosque
The mosque was built in the year 1327. Some parts of the mosque were built of limestone, wood, fiber, and straw. The mosque features two minarets, three courts and about 25 pillars.

Sidi Yahya Mosque
The Sidi Yahya Mosque was built in the year 1440. It features massive doors at the entrance and pillars of about three rows that faces towards the north-south. The courtyard features a tall minaret and a cemetery which is not in use.