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Was There a University in Timbuktu? - The Manuscript Culture of Timbuktu | Sleepy Facts About History
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Timbuktu is often imagined as a mythical city of gold, but its true historical significance lies in something far more durable. This episode explores how a settlement on the southern edge of the Sahara, lacking its own gold mines or salt deposits, became one of the most important centers of learning in premodern Africa. It examines the trans-Saharan trade routes that carried salt, gold, and books across the desert, and explains how this commercial wealth supported a decentralized community…
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