Timbuktu's 1591 Book Rescue: The Family That Saved Its Library

Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History · Aug 11, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In 1591, when Saadian forces sacked Timbuktu, a scholar named Ahmad Baba al-Timbukti was dragged off to Marrakech in chains. But his library — thousands of manuscripts — was saved by his students and family, who smuggled them into desert caves and village homes. This episode tells the story of that rescue, and how the same family, the Kunta, kept the books hidden through centuries of upheaval, from the Fulani jihad to French colonization. We explore the practical logistics: how books were wrapped, transported on camelback, and concealed in the Sahara's remote corners. And we follow the…