Which country is home to the historic city of Timbuktu? Mali. Timbuktu is an ancient city in northern Mali, near the Niger River and the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.
The settlement began as a seasonal Tuareg or Berber trading site and became permanent around the 11th or 12th century. Its location made it a crucial stop on trans-Saharan routes linking West Africa with North Africa. Salt, gold, ivory, books, and enslaved people moved through the city.
Timbuktu flourished under the Mali Empire, particularly after Mansa Musa’s reign, and later became an important centre of Islamic scholarship under the Songhai Empire. Institutions such as Sankoré Madrasah and mosques including Djinguereber helped establish its reputation as a city of learning.
A common mix-up is confusing Timbuktu with countries nearby, especially Niger or Senegal. The city is in Mali’s Tombouctou Region; “Tombouctou” is the French spelling. Its historic centre was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.