Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
The Timbuktu Scholar Who Wrote a Universe
This episode explores the life and work of Muhammad al-Mustafa al-Wangari, a 17th-century Timbuktu scholar who wrote a massive encyclopedia of the cosmos, blending Islamic astronomy, Maliki jurisprudence, and Sufi mysticism. We examine his 'Mīr'āt al-Ālam' or 'Mirror of the World,' a text that attempted to systematize all knowledge from the stars to the soul. Lucas and Luna discuss how al-Wangari navigated the intellectual rivalries between Sankore's scholars and the Saadian occupation, his use of the astrolabe and trigonometry for prayer times and qibla…
The skinny
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