Timbuktu City; It is located in the Republic of Mali, a West African country. Once one of the most magnificent cities in the world, Timbuktu was built among sand dunes in the Sahara Desert. The city served as the capital of the Mali Empire during the reign of Mansa I Musa, who is regarded as the richest man in the world. Once the center of the gold trade, the city has been nominated for the 7 Wonders of the World.
The first settlement in the city of Timbuktu BC. It is known to date back to the 5th century. The city, which was established near the Niger River, one of the most important water resources of the region, has become one of the most important cities of the African continent over time. The city captured by the Tuaregs was given the name Timbuktu, which means “the city buried in the sand” in their language, Berber. There are historical buildings built with a traditional architecture from sand and mud in the city. These structures are at risk of collapse today due to the ongoing drought and desert storms. UNESCO declared Timbuktu a World Heritage in Danger in 2012.
History of Timbuktu City
Timbuktu City is now one of the 8 administrative regions of the Republic of Mali. Set among sand dunes, Timbuktu has a great cultural significance. Since the city was founded, it was used as a periodical settlement until the 11th century, and after the 12th century it became a permanent city. The trade routes of the Sahara Desert pass through Timbuktu. Trades such as salt, gold and ivory were made in the city and developed rapidly. For this reason, the city received a large number of immigrants from abroad. The city grew in a short time and became one of the richest cities in Africa.
The Tuaregs captured the city, which was a part of the Mali Empire at the beginning of the century. In the 16th century, the Moroccan Saadi Dynasty took the city and made it the capital. In the 17th century, an independent administration was established in the city, which was separated from Morocco. The city, which lived its golden age in the 17th and 18th centuries, became an academy, education and cultural center. The city, where a university was established in the 18th century, became a place that neighboring kingdoms wanted to achieve with its wealth and splendor.
Thanks to the Muslim traders who came to the city on the trade routes, the people met the religion of Islam. After the people of Timbuktu, who adopted the Islamic faith, the religion began to spread throughout Mali. Djinguereber Mosque, Sankore Mosque and Sidi Yahya Mosque are among the important structures built after meeting the religion of Islam. Mosques were used as centers of Islamic study and knowledge during Timbuktu’s glorious period.
Timbuktu is also one of the richest cities in the world in terms of books and manuscripts. There are 700 thousand manuscripts in the city of Timbuktu, which has more than 60 libraries. The city, which changed hands frequently after the 18th century, became a French colony in the 19th century. The city, which moved away from its bright days with the French occupation, started to lose its wealth.
Mansa 1. Musa, The Richest Person in the World
Mansa Musa I, one of the most important emperors of Mali, lived in the 14th century. Mansa Musa I, who is considered the richest person in history, made great contributions to the city of Timbuktu. Mansa 1. Musa, who was very interested in Islamic sciences, brought many scholars from Arabia to Timbuktu on his return from the pilgrimage. It has made the city very scientifically developed. Even an African proverb says; “Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, silver from the land of the white man; The word of God and the treasures of wisdom are found only in Timbuktu”.
Mansa Musa I, who is considered one of the important emperors of Mali, ruled the country between 1312 and 1337. During his pilgrimage to Cairo, Mecca and Medina in 1324, he distributed kilos of gold to the local people. In this journey he made, 500 slaves were assigned to carry the gold of the Emperor. It is said that he distributed so much gold during this pilgrimage that the value of gold in the Middle East fell sharply.
