Mali contains Timbuktu, the historic city on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
Timbuktu developed near the Niger River and became a major centre of trans-Saharan trade. From roughly the 12th century, merchants exchanged gold, salt and other goods there, linking West Africa with North Africa. Its location helped it become one of the best-known cities associated with the medieval empires of West Africa.
The city was also renowned for Islamic scholarship. The Sankore intellectual tradition and manuscript libraries made Timbuktu an important centre of learning, while mosques such as Djinguereber became landmarks. Timbuktu is in present-day Mali, not neighbouring Niger, although both countries share parts of the wider Sahel region. The city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.