Latest / Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History
The Timbuktu Book Trade: How Manuscripts Moved Across the Sahara
Long before the Saadian invasion, Timbuktu was a hub for a vast trans-Saharan book trade. This episode follows manuscripts as they traveled from Cairo, Fez, and the Maghreb to the libraries of Sankore, Djinguereber, and private collectors. We explore the role of dyula merchants, the value of a single manuscript (sometimes worth a fortune in gold or salt), and the scribes who copied works by hand. Learn how books shaped Timbuktu's intellectual life, how prices were set, and how the trade connected West Africa to the wider Islamic world. We also touch on the threats to this heritage today…
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