They were given a word, then allowed two minutes to study the word and come up with a poem that contained the word. Many of them remain, though in precarious condition, to form a priceless written record of African history. By the 14th century it was a flourishing centre for the trans-Saharan gold and salt trade, and it grew as a centre of Islamic culture. The city was well know with great Arab immigrants including the renowned architect, Ishaq El Teudjin, who built its legendary mosque, Djinguereber, to serve as a Friday prayer temple for thousands of inhabitants. Timbuktu is listed under 3 criterion, numbers 2, 4 and 6. Presently, Timbuktu is impoverished and suffers from desertification. Timbuktu’s location at the meeting point of desert and water made it an ideal trading centre. By 14th Century important books were written and copied in Timbuktu and thousands of manuscripts written in Arabic have been deposited in Sankore University and preserved by UNESCO world heritage list in modern Mali. The fabled West African city … Sacred Muslim texts, in bound editions, were carried great distances to Timbuktu for the use of eminent scholars from Cairo, Baghdad, Persia, and elsewhere who were in residence at the city. A place that you didn't think actually existed, but it does. It is located in Western Africa. This made the city flourish given its strategic position in the North and West of Africa. Ecotourism could help the ‘Amazon of North America’ recover. Was once a major trade city and centre for Islamic religion in the 15th and 16th centuries. 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By early 14th Century, Timbuktu was a veritable melting pot of knowledge and commerce to many African traders. It was, in fact, a major trading and Islamic intellectual centre in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Please be respectful of copyright. I want to know the answer as well! We left dusty Niafunké and, as the sun started to set, went in search of a suitable place to camp for the night. The criteria on UNESCO states why Timbuktu is a cultural World Heritage Site. Salt from the desert had great value and, along with other caravan goods, enriched the city in its heyday. Timbuktu, city of gold, ancient centre of learning, is slowly turning to dust. Here’s how. Sylvia Earle and marine scientists work to protect our oceans’ ecosystem. Mansa Musabuilt a great mosque, or Islamic temple, in Timbuktu. With a huge enrollment Timbuktu had become the headquarters of Islamic intellectual development in Africa. Here's how we'll cope. In 2016, Nan Madol was listed "in danger" due to mangrove overgrowth, storm surge, and stonework collapse. The fact that it actually exists still surprises some people who have merely pictured it as a mysterious or mythical place. It was an important place during the 15th and 16th century. There is hope that libraries and cultural centers can be established to preserve the precious collection and become a source of tourist revenue. Apart from symbolizing something foreign, or the middle of nowhere, Timbuktu is famous for its ancient manuscripts. In 1990 this site was inscribed to the List of World Property in Danger do to financial, developmental, and environmental factors. More than a hundred islets off the coast of Pohnpei form the ceremonial site of Nan Madol. All rights reserved. Timbuktu is an old city of great significance, whose name is the most recognizable in the history of Africa. In the 16th century Moroccan invaders began to drive scholars out, and trade routes slowly shifted to the coasts. To date, Timbuktu remains a popular tourist destination given the wealth of its historical archives. Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Sign up for more inspiring photos, stories, and special offers from National Geographic. This characterization had roots in reality and in fact continues to the present in much reduced form. Perched on the edge of the Sahara, this West African city was a center of religion and scholarship for centuries. Perched as it is on the edge of the Sahara, relentless encroachment of the desert sands is also a threat to Timbuktu. For Westerners, Timbuktu has long been a place of fictional convenience. How to stop discarded face masks from polluting the planet. Timbuktu was founded as a World Heritage Site in 1988. 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