Timbuktu's Astronomers: Stars, Calendars, and Time

Timbuktu: Africa's Forgotten Center of Knowledge — Fexingo History · Sep 4, 2026 · 7m · transcript

While most histories of Timbuktu focus on gold, salt, or the famous manuscripts, few explore how these scholars actually used that knowledge in daily life. In this episode, we look at the practical astronomy of the Sahel, where timekeeping was not just religious but economic and agricultural. We meet scholars like Mahmud ibn Zarqun, who calculated prayer times with precision, and explore how the lunar calendar dictated the rhythm of trade caravans across the Sahara. From the measurement of shadows to the prediction of eclipses, we uncover a sophisticated scientific tradition that kept the…