Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
Timbuktu's Great Library: The Manuscript Rescue Mission
In 2012, as the Salafist group Ansar Dine moved into Timbuktu, they began destroying ancient manuscripts they deemed un-Islamic. This episode traces the frantic, clandestine operation led by local librarians like Abdoulaye Maiga to save over 400,000 volumes from destruction and looting. We explore how these scholars hid texts in homes, burials, and safe houses across Mali, risking their lives to preserve centuries of knowledge on astronomy, law, medicine, and trade. Lucas and Luna discuss the mechanics of this underground network, the specific types of documents saved, and the complex…
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