Mali contains Timbuktu, the ancient city that became a major centre of Saharan scholarship.
Timbuktu lies near the southern edge of the Sahara, close to the Niger River’s seasonal floodplain. Tuareg groups founded the settlement around the 12th century, and its position near trans-Saharan routes helped it grow into a trading centre. Gold, salt and other goods moved through the region.
The city flourished under the Mali Empire and later the Songhai Empire. Its mosques and schools attracted scholars from across the Islamic world. The Sankore, Djinguereber and Sidi Yahya mosques are especially associated with Timbuktu’s intellectual and religious history.
Thousands of manuscripts preserved in Timbuktu record subjects including law, theology, astronomy, medicine and literature. Timbuktu became part of the Songhai Empire after Sunni Ali conquered it in 1468. UNESCO listed the historic city as a World Heritage Site in 1988, recognising its exceptional cultural importance.