Considered by many to be a mythical place with gold paved roads at the end of the world, Timbuktu does indeed exist… but it has seen better days. Once a bustling city in the center of many caravan routes through the African continent, it is now a struggling place, consumed by desertification, dwindling water supplies and years of war. Yet, despite its struggles, it still hasn’t lost its magical aura and its name continues to evoke images of remoteness and wonder.
Naturally, connecting with the world is not a priority in places like Timbuktu, where steady employment and disposable income are hard to come by. Problems with rebel fighting in Northern Mali in recent years have driven away tourism from the city, leaving many tourist guides unemployed.
Luckily for postcard lovers from around the world, Phil, Bintou and Ali run Postcards from Timbuktu, a service that helps unemployed guides in Timbuktu send postcards to supplement their income. Whether you’d like to surprise a loved one with a message from an exotic place, or just to add an exotic stamp to your collection, they can help you do it with just a few clicks. The postcards they send all around the world are precious, in both the collectible sense and, more importantly, to their livelihoods. Here is Mohamed, writing a batch of cards to send:
Each card costs $10, including postage which ranges between $2.20 to Europe and $3.75 to other continents. For context, people in Bamako (Mali’s capital) are making as little as $80–90/month… so it’s easy to understand that this isn’t really something they can afford to do for fun. Postcards travel from Bamako to Timbuktu and back to Bamako, before being shipped out of Mali. Each one of them will go through several motorcycle and plane rides on its journey to its recipients.
And now, an extra incentive to check out Postcards from Timbuktu: we were so pleased to learn how postcards are making a difference in this community that we decided to help! Postcrossing is sponsoring a giveaway of 5 postcards from Timbuktu, sent to random postcrossers.
To participate, all you need to do is to leave a comment below, sharing a fact you have learned about Timbuktu. Go discover its fascinating history, and come back to share your knowledge with everyone. And who knows… you might even find a postcard from there waiting on your mailbox soon! :)
This giveaway will be open for one week. The results will be chosen by Paulo's random number generator and announced on this post.
And the winners of this giveaway, as chosen by Paulo’s random number generator are… sfichialos, pinsonne, Amaya_Ithilwen, reimira and WHMeg. Congratulations — and thank you everyone for your enthusiastic participation on this giveaway!
PS – We got word from Phil that the team in Timbuktu is a little overwhelmed with orders at the moment. While this is great news for them, it also means that it will take some time for all postcards and other items to be delivered. So please be patient while you wait — we’re sure it will be worth it. :)
710 comments so far
Thanks
This was once a town well known for the trade in salt, slaves, gold.
So I love this project!
I was interested what is the food like in Mali: it's often rice, served with a sauce made of peanuts, spinach, tomatoes and sometimes also boiled leaves of the baobab-tree. Sounds yummy and vegetarian :-)
Maybe this will not be the only country with such a wonderful project in the future, but encourage other people to do something similar :-)
Although French is the official language spoken in Mali, around 35 very different languages can be heard in the country as well.
Among them there are also some Tuareg-languages, and one of them, "Tifinagh", has a reallyreally beautiful alphabeth. Maybe some of you have the chance to have a look at it :-)
So my "new" fact will be: Mali has a big tradition of storytelling, and the storytellers are called "Griots",-they pass on the stories and history of the country and are like living libraries :-)
During the occupation by Islamic extremists the citizens of the city embarked on a drive to save the “best written accounts of African History.” Interviewed by the Times the local residents claimed to have safeguarded the three hundred thousand manuscripts for generations...
Timbuktu is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since December 1988. Unfortunately, the extremists have destroyed much of the heritage. UNESCO UNESCO created a special fund to safeguard Mali's World Heritage Sites, vowing to carry out reconstruction and rehabilitation projects once the security situation allows.
I've heard before about Timbuktu in movies and books always related to adventures in quite an unknown and mysterious place that was once very important in the past!
Sad to think that a once so flourishing city has become almost forgotten.
I'll get one card sent to my niece, who introduced me to postcrossing!
Fascinating fact: the lowest temperatures in Timbuktu occur in December, January and February (northern hemisphere winter months), but the average maximum temperatures do not drop below 30 °C (86 °F)... not what I’d call wintry temperatures!!
A part of their culture has been saved !
It is believed that the great Gaudi drew inspiration for his buildings in the contours of the mosques of Djenne and Djingarey-ber — one of the largest and most beautiful in Mali. Since 1989, all the Adobe houses and attractions of Timbuktu are under the protection of UNESCO.
I discovered too what can postcards do there
Thank you
All the best,
Rolando
I've learned about Timbuktu that some years ago terrorists destroyed their UNESCO WHS. .
Very interesting article and one which leads me to want to learn more.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy postcrossing everybody!
The name Timbuktu might be from Berber language meaning "She with big belly button"
I enjoy watching the youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4V-QAzKQ3A.
I learned that the city declined during the 1600s for several reasons: competition with trade and the monarch accused scholars of "disloyalty."
It's pretty sad because it sounds like Timbuktu was once a thriving city but never really recovered. I wonder what things would have been like if it never declined..
They have long snouts and long claws on both front and hind feet! :-)
I like them and I think their name is funny.
Just coming back from a trip to the South of Africa, I read this story with a lot of interest and learned more about Timbuktu and Bamako,both places in Mali. Thanks to Postcrossing.
In Mali
Thanks for drawing attention to this business (and for drawing winners)!
Timbuktu is near the Niger river, and was a trading post on the trans-Saharan route. Historically, it was also the centre of Islamic culture.
Thanks for sharing with us! :)
And I really like Ali Farka Touré's words "For some people, when you say 'Timbuktu' it is like the end of the world, but that is not true. I am from Timbuktu, and I can tell you that we are right at the heart of the world."
Even though French is the official language, a large majority of Timbuktu’s inhabitants speak Koyra Chiini.
What a great project this is! I also think I may order a card as well!
Another example of postcards making the world a better place
I'm fascinated by the description that Timbuktu was a forested region that is now practically desert. The extreme changes that have been undergone by our planet are seen so vividly in places like this.
In the early 10th century, Timbuktu became a permanent settlement. Before that, it was seasonal.
This is such a great project!
Also, there is a famous musician in Sweden called Timbuktu. :)
Thanks for the chance of winning a card from a very special place.
When I was in middle school, we learned about different religions. I remembered learning that Timbuktu was a center of scholarly study in the Islamic world for hundreds of years.
Thank you for spreading awareness about this incredible project and for so kindly offering Postcrossers the opportunity to win a postcard from Timbuktu!
I know the name, of course, but I had no idea of the mythical associations nor how significant it was in terms of trade or enlightenment. I hope this amazing place isn't lost.
This is a wonderful project
So happy to see this project and what beautiful postcards!!!
i would like to send many many many cards to Timbuktu.
I read that: Timbuktu is still a legendary city, forged between gold and salt, whose extraordinary heritage is in danger, as the Franco-African tension in Mali increases.
In my understanding,The name of Timbuktu has always been associated with the Niger river. Africa's third largest river, like a full bow, full of strength and tension, cuts the southern edge of the Sahara and flows into the Atlantic ocean near the equator. Timbuktu, like the arrowhead that appears on the back of the bow, points firmly to the vast expanse of the northern Sahara. In this way, the geographical significance of this legendary city can be understood.
So... fact I learned about Timbuktu: The fact that the ancient Mali kingdom was so wealthy thanks to it's trade routes from Timbuktu that, as a result of it's King, Mansa Musa, making a pilgrimage to Mecca from 1324 to 1325, he and his retinue brought with them such a MASSIVE influx of gold when passing though the markets of Cairo that they unintentionally devalued the precious metal for the next decade not only in the Middle East, but the entire Mediterranean!
I hope I can visit it in future. It's very important project specially for people like me who lives too far from Timbuktu.
I don't have many opportunities to know a lot about such events so Postcrossing is really an useful and kind project!
Reading is ay cow and likewise calling;
Greeting is sallam
Breaking fast is feer-mee;
dinner they say hawre;
then lunch for them is ay cirkose.
Of course this is the fonetic writing, as the language is written in the Arabic alfabet.
Source : lughat.blogspot.com, from a Timbuktu manuscript poem
I learned that the mean temperature in Timbuktu is 28 °C. It’s dry and hot.
It is very expensive to buy post cards and stamps there!
It would be desirable to receive a post card from there and also I want to send a post card there.
Thank you so much for this giveaway! A postcard from Timbuktu would be a great addition to my collection. :)
pity that even when the cards physically out of Mali,stating the ID of their country.Or is there another way?
Great to read info on Timbuktu. I knew nothing about it, not even that it was part of Mali. I enjoyed reading the story of Shabeeny, who described Timbuktu as being surrounded by forests.... must have been an amazing place then.
Interesting is that Timbuktu flourished from the trade of salt just as Hallstatt in Upper Austria.
Also, thank you very much for this amazing project!
I think it is good to support the people there.
struggle". Timbuktu known to me only `a foreign country` come closer
by this message. I hope the fellows keep up this postcard work !
Runokuono, August the 12. 2018
Knowledge, is indeed, powerful
I also know that the population makes the mosquea new each year, because it's built whit raw earth.
What a pity that the war makes this place so insecure !
Thanks for the giveaway and for letting us know about this project
It's also great to hear about this project :)
Great project. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
tim, the feminine form of In (place of) and bouctou, a small dune. Hence, Timbuktu means "place covered by small dunes"
https://theglobalreader.com/2013/02/03/couscous-timbuktu-style/
"Salt comes from the north,
gold from the south,
but the word of God and wisdom are from Timbuktu. "
Great idea! We’d love a card from there!
Thanks.
... In the remote bay of Timbuktu
There is a house near Sarah Barabu,
Sarah Baraboo, Sarah Baraboo,
She has a cow Mu ...
And now we learned a lot of interesting things. For example, that the population of Timbuktu is less than 60 thousand people, and in our the city Tyumen - more than 700 thousand. We learned about the hot climate, about the salt trade, about the fact that rice is grown in Timbuktu! And many more interesting things. We would very much like to receive a postcard from Timbuktu!
I have known about the project Postcards of Timbuktu before. I ordered a card from them a while ago and received it without problems. I was fascinated to read in an article that the project is the only reason for the post office in Timbuktu to open. It's great if it can help people to earn a living.
I learned that there are up to 60 private libraries in Timbuktu which I find especially interesting because nowadays I am studying Library and Information Sciences.
I also think it is interesting that according to the 2006 survey of 150 young Britons, 34% of them did not believe the town existed. If the project can tell people about this place and help its inhabitants earn a living, I find the project very useful.
That means summertime for the whole year! For me that will be too hot.
Thank you for informing about the situation and project. I love that postcrossing opens my mind a bit more every time!
Timbuktu's main library, officially called the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research, is a treasure house containing more than 20,000 manuscripts covering centuries of Mali's history.
I've heard about Timbuktu (or Tombouctou in French) since I was a child as my grand-parents were in Africa for more than 30 years. I always was (and still am) fascinated by the Camel Parade at the "Festival au Désert". Even more fascinating are the "blue people". The Tuaregs have been called so for the indigo-dye coloured clothes they traditionally wear and which stains their skin.
This type of initiative is very simple for any of us but very important for anyone who has suffered as much as them. Sadly I met Timbuktu on the TV news for the war.
I learned that Timbuktu has 6 Twin-towns; Sister cities;
* Chemnitz- Germany
*Hay-on -Wye- Wales, United Kingdom
*Kairuan- Tunisia
*Marrakech- Morocco
*Saintes- France
*Tempe- Arizona in the USA
Cheers, Anneke/Flippie
Timbuktu was also a religious city. According to a West African proverb: 'Salt comes from the north, gold from the south and silver from the country of the white men, but the word of God and the treasures of wisdom are only to be found in Timbuktu.' There is a local legend that the city is guarded by 333 renowned saints as well as numerous lesser ones, and surrounding Timbuktu like a rampart are the chapels where the saints are buried.
I've learnt e.g. that Timbuktu’s Djinguereber mosque was built almost entirely from banco mud.
“Progress”. The two-sided sword. This could be compared to what WalMart has done to small towns in The US.
azalai
an annual salt caravan between Timbuktu and Taoudenni,
Wouldn't that make a marvelous adventure!?
I would love to know more about how tbe salt is produced.
beautiful!
so happy to help with this project.
"According to one tradition, Timbuktu was named for an old woman left to oversee the camp while the Tuareg roamed the Sahara. Her name (variously given as Tomboutou, Timbuktu, or Buctoo) meant “mother with a large navel,” possibly describing an umbilical hernia or other such physical malady."
It was intriguing to read more information about a legendary place like this. THANK YOU Postcrossing for always sharing such interesting postcard connections.
If I were a Cassowary
On the plains of Timbuktu
I would eat a missionary
Coat and bands and hymn-book too.
I doubt if we could have pointed to it on a map though! Or known that cassowaries do not inhabit the area :)
Thank you for letting us know the project and the nice lottery :)
It would be priceless to receive one day a postcard from this place!
Thank You
Это просто замечательный проект: и он позволяет сочетать приятное с полезным, даже в какой-то мере необходимым
I am quite ashamed to say that I am not that familiar with the place of Timbuktu, though I heard about it but never really understand it (if you know what I mean). This blog is really motivating and knowledgeable!
With this project I finally know that Timbuktu is really exist. Hope that this project will goes well.
I learnt that Timbuktu (does indeed exist) is an ancient city in Mali, currently having a population of ~55,000 people. On the historical front, trade flourished in Salt, Gold, Ivory & Slaves!
Ps. Great project! It's good to know about it. And of course, to support it and local people
I didn't know very much about Timbuktu before now, but I always heard that it was often decanted like a mythical place. Its true or alleged existence was discussed in Europe since 1805, when a scottish explorer named Mungo Park managed to reach it for the first time but never returned further back (according to a later testimony by Renè Caillié).
I just learned about Leo Africanus and his influence on the western view on Africa. I didn't know that most of what european people said to know for several decades was mostly coming from one man.
Thinking of it, I am not surprised that people thought of Timbuktu having gold-paved streets.
The one thing that I learned is the existence of this project (not participating in the sweepstake). Thanks a lot for that! I did the one sensible thing and ordered me a postcard from Postcards from Timbuktu right away. Now to wait for its arrival... :-)
Great idea for a project. I've ordered my postcard.
Would love getting a card from there! 😘
Timbuktu was once the intellectual capital of the continent, and a centre of scholastic activity. In its golden age, around the 15-16th Century, Islamic intellectuals would flock to Timbuktu, viewing the area as a useful platform for them to propagate Islam throughout Africa. Today, one can imagine what it was like back then by admiring the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and the city’s impressive mosques. Ultimately, Timbuktu still holds the key to discovering Africa’s intellectual history.
I found these facts about salt being transported by camels really interesting. And that a place could be wealthy from salt mining.
Would be wonderful to receive a postcard from Timbuktu.
I know Timbuktu was a world centre of Islamic learning from the 13th to the 17th century.
I learned that Timbuktu is located on the southern edge of the Sahara 15 km (9 mi) north of the main channel of the River Niger. The town is surrounded by sand dunes and the streets are covered in sad .
Good luck Timbuktu embrace from Italy:)
I know isn't the best film in the world, but Timbuktu always makes me think of "París Tombuctú"!
I love this project! I would love to get postcard from Timbuktu.
Sans savoir que cela venez du mali alors on nous a raconter des tas de choses sur cette magnifique croix . On nous a dit que c etait la croix des kabyles puis des touaregs et puis on a su quelle voulais parler de courage et d amour . Est ce cela ?
La croix serais faite a la mains avec des pierre de rocailles ainsi que de l argent brut et fais dans le desert .
Je trouve que cous etes des personnes admirable par votre courage votre force physique a la chaleurs que nous arrivons pas a supportée .
Mon reve serais de venir visité tombouctou qui a fzis ma curiosité depuis l enfance . A bientôt
It is actually sad fact to read that there cleary is not active turism as amonth hotels havent grown so much. Funny thing is that i thought Timpuktu is located in India 😊
I went to the link and learned that Timbuktu has hot desert climate...so this is the fact I learned and wanna point out because(please don`t laugh at me) as a child when hearing someone mention the Timbuktu-sayings, I always somehow imagined it to be a very cold icy spot on this earth;o)!!!
I`d be thrilled to find a card from that special place in my mailbox:o)!
Music of the Sahara is populair among lovers of the so called WorldMusic, I am one of them.
My favourite song of the moment is by Tamikrest <Aicha> https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tamikrest+aicha&t=h_&ia=videos&iax=videos&iai=uR2aivOjeQ8
There is a very famous mosque in Timbuktu - I think it is featured in Michael Palin's Sahara TV programme, which I watched years ago.
It was once a city well known for selling salt, slaves, and gold.
So I like this project!
What I just learned about Timbuktu is that right now it's rainy season there. There's no rain from Oktober to May. In June, there's a chance of rain, but only little, and in August there are 6 days of rain on the whole, but it's only 64mm in the whole month. In comparison: While Timbuktu has only 18 days of rain in the year, Bremen (Germany) has 126!
So sad to hear about the recent history of the city...
I had no idea that a language called Koyra Chiini even existed, but apparently it is the language spoken in Timbuktu!
According to Wikipedia, in the imagination of Europeans and North Americans, Timbuktu is a place that bears with it a sense of mystery: a 2006 survey of 150 young Britons found 34% did not believe the town existed, while the other 66% considered it "a mythical place.
The project is just great, and I hope that many many postcards will travel from Timbuktu around the world!
And I know the city of Timbuktu since I was a child, but it was always only like a synonym for "very far away". Now I know where this city is located - thank you for this :-)
Timbuktu has got five sister towns.
I just started post crossing so how great would if be to receive one of my first cards from Timbuktu. I can't imagine a more special place to get a card from. In the article they already wrote it's very rare to get a card from over there.
I spent a while learning about Timbuktu, and found lots of interesting info! For example, Timbuktu has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1988!
Some facts I‘d like to present:
Several historical sites in the city were declared part of the UNESCO World Heritage in 1988. The first attempt to get the whole city on the list in 1979 failed.
Sadly, the sites have been on and off the list of World Heritage in Danger ever since, which shows how hard and dangerous life in this place must be.
Another interesting fact: The first European ever to reach Timbuktu was Alexander Gordon Laing. He arrived there in 1826 after having crossed the Sahara from north to south and was strangled by Tuareg shortly after.
I hope Postcards from Timbuktu will find lots of supporters!
It's a great project!maybe it can help someone like that ..
Good luck!!
Muchas gracias por darnos a conocer proyectos tan bonitos como este y poder tener la ilusión de ser uno de los agraciados con una de esas cinco postales, espero tener suerte, mil gracias.
Today I learned that the first European to visit Timbuktu was a Scot.
I have learned that Timbuktu was a regional trade centre in medieval times, where caravans met to exchange salt from the Sahara Desert for gold, ivory, and slaves from the Sahel, which could be reached via the nearby Niger River.
I learned so much about this intriguing city in only a day! Thank you Postcrossing ;D If only I had a time machine to see how Timbuktu functioned when it was the world centre of Islamic learning! So many interesting facts!
My fact about Timbuctoo is how I first learned about this city, which was through Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "Timbuctoo". In it, the city is described as a fantastic glowing city, a magical land.
It continues to be so and it is seen in actions such as the one recorded in this article (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/18/timbuktu-begins-to-sing-again-mali-music-jihadists) from January this year - people getting together and singing through adversity and turmoil.
Hats off to them and to the humanity that still permeates our actions!
Thank you so much Postcrossing for helping this lovely city :)
It is one of the cities of Africa the name of which is the more loaded of history,.
Thank's for this great project
I came across music from Mali thanks to the label "Putumayo". I especially like Habib Koité. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPuiRU7b8nY)
I learnt that the German Africa-Explorer Heinrich Barth was welcomed there in 1853 as he made many friends there, also among the Tuareg. He had many talks with the Quran scholar Ahmad al-Baqqai about Christianity and Islam.
Heinrich Barth drew many maps of the Sahara and Sahel-zone, describing the traditions and cultures of the people without prejudice.
I would absolutely love to receive a card from there after I've learnt so much. But I definitely will support the project apart from the giveaway here in the blog.
I got lost in the wikipedia reading all these new facts about Timbuktu and something I learnt was that Timbuktu is on the list of world heritage in danger. Makes me worried that such an ancient city is in danger of getting destroyed.
I learned about your wonderful city, before I heard only the name, but did not know anything about it.
I also found out that the Djinguereber Mosque was built in 1327, the oldest building in West Africa. It is said that this building inspired the Spanish architect Gaudi.
I wish good luck for unemployed guides, and for this wonderful city!
with its rich cultue and its hard-working people ,culture self-confidence and, of course,support ,kindness and love from all over the word ,its future can become better and better.For more ,the earth is becoming better and better. As a saying goes ,"One tree doesn‘t make a forest",everyone‘effort DOES count !
I am glad to learn something new today and I hope to receive a postcard from Timbuktu!
He was King of Mali during the 14th century and went on a journey to mekka with 15 tons of gold, packed on 100 camels. The gold had been found in Mali´s own gold mines. The article says that he just gave it away on his trip and had to lend gold on his way back to buy all goods they needed...
Mansa Musa´s fortune was equivalent to 400 billion dollar (400 Milliarden Dollar) When Musa died in 1337, Mali was the second biggest empire on earth.
Best wishes to the postcard business; I hope it makes a difference for a number of people.
I have a dream to travel to Africa and would love to see the results of this project flourish and provide help for much needed Timbuktu residents.
PEACE!!!
Eagerly waiting..
It's really sad that such a beautiful city is now turning into a desert day by day, all thanks to its corruption.
I already knew of the real existence of Timbuktu (Tombuctu, in Portuguese). I also know that it is in this city that the famous Ahmed Baba Institute stands, with its collection of 20,000 ancient Arabic manuscripts, which depict more than one millennium of Islamic scientific knowledge.
Ps: I know a Brazilian girl named Mali (name given by her mother in honor of this African country).
As a historian I affirm how important this is to preserve the history of this mythical place!
I know that this city is a world heritage site and that UNESCO has started a program to conserve and protect the city. It was inhabited by Muslims, Christians and Jews for hundreds of years, and has always been a center of religious and racial tolerance. The local cultures - songai, Tuareg and Arabic - mingled, but retained their distinct traditions.
Quite an impressing history for a faraway city!
I've learned that Timbuktu is listed in UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1988 and List of World Heritage in Danger in 2012. It is very sad to read that muslim fundamentalists have destroyed several shrines in the city.
I hope as many PostCrossers as possible participate on their own as well. 💚
Interesting fact about Timbuktu:
For several years, 2010-2012, it was the site of the annual Festival au Désert ("Festival in the Desert"), an international music festival that was held annually from 2001-2012 that highlighted traditional Tuareg music and hosted musicians from other countries, too. 🇲🇱
As for what I learned today... I had no idea that an area so "poor" had such a rich library & manuscript heritage! Leave it to individuals to make sure the simplest things in life are safeguarded!
«In the distant Bay of Timbuktu
There is a house Sarah Baraboo...» That was my the first familiarity with this country! Now I will learn more!!!!
In the age of the Internet, imagine how many young Filipinos had a surprise of their lives that Timbuktu is actually in Africa.
The name 'Timbuktu' sounds magical. I also, been surprised with heritage of library's.
Its interesting to me to learn something new.
I knew that Timbuktu is in Mali, I knew it is in Southern Sahara, but had no idea that it is UNESCO site. This is what I learned by reading today. Thank you.
Now I have learned many facts, from its history of trade, religious and cultural center, the UNESCO title, the wars, ...
Facts I also learned is that the houses of the "first westerners" are still standing in town (mostly are private homes)The first wheel of the town too is still preserved in Timbuktu Ethnological Museum. Before been know as a faraway exoctic place, Tombouctou was nicknamed The city of Gold because of the description of its wealth by some to Europeans.
But the most important fact I learned is that despite is impoverished state, insecurity, harsh climate and living conditions, people here don't give up on their town, their history, their lifes. My thoughts to them.
I have learned about Timbukti, that Mali, and with it Timbuktu used to be a colony of France from the late 19th century to 1960. France had quite a few colonies...
When I was little I had a childrens picture book. It was about a little boy and his family in Timbuktu. I forgot the name of it but I remember the book very well. That is because I loved and hated it at the same time. Loved it because of the beautyful illustrations and hated it because of the sad story.
With this book I learned about slavery. The little boys family was captured and sold to cotton farmers in the USA. There they were seperated and brought to many different farms to work there. The little boy and his sister went out to search for their family, but could not find them. All while the slave holders were searching for them.
The happy ending was not so happy. They met a nice man who hid them on a ship and brought them back to Timbuktu. But they never found their family...
This is also part of the history of Timbuktu. The place was involved in the skave trade...
Fun fact of Timbuktu - University of Sankoré, was one of the first universities ever built in the world
Thanks for introducing this here!
As I like animals I googled what animals can be found in Timbuktu.
The Aardvark (Erdferkel in German) is not only very cute, but also has a very charming name :) It eats ants!
Something that grabbed my attention is that a huge number of valuable ancient manuscripts were being hidden from destruction not only in Medieval times, but also in modernity. Which is sad.
I know about Timbuktu was once a commercial center in Sahara Desert. But now the business declined...It's famous for its mosque buildings.
Hope one day I can travel to there!
What i have learned recently about Timbuktu is, that it was one of the most educated places until in the late 16th / early 17th century the armies of the marrocan Sultan took over and killed all schoolars who urged resistance.
I was surprised to read on Wikipedia that Timbuktu is a sister city to Chemnitz in Germany. :)
i hope i can be one of 5 luckiest person here :)
This indeed is an excellent initiative & we hope that we can help the city & its citizens get thriving again.
Leon, the African by Amin Maalouf
I read this book 15 years ago and many of images describes on it are still on my mind
I'm from south Spain and you couldn't believe how history, past events, are so connected with our own history
i thought it was only in books to describe a long long journey or an unreachable place, haha...
definitely i learn a lot from this web Postcrossing, especially about geography.
thanks so much
Love this project!
This project transmits good vibrations...
A few years ago I watched the film "Timbuktu" in Berlin in a very small cinema. Three visitors only... I was deeply touched by this film which shows life under the control of fanatic IS people and criminal warlords. It must be horrible. The desert landscape and the regional sights are impressing as well - I did not know anything about it before.
But when I grew up, I read lots of books and watched TV programmes, I found than in reality Timbuktu is far from the sea and even does not have a river! However, it is a lovely contry which deserves better life.
It is sad that innocent people have to suffer the horror of the wars.
I know that last year my native Lithuania increased its involvement in the United Nations-led Multinational Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali. So, it means there are volunteers from Lithuania in Mali and somwhere around Timbuktu.
I hope I will be that lucky to receive the postcard from Timbuktu.
I would love to get a postcard from this mystical place!
I propose to revive the Timbuktu feature and hold congresses of philosophers and scientists in this wonderful place.I would like to receive a postcard from Timbuktu.
I didn't know that I would have to travel longer to Timbuktu than to the other end of the world (New Zealand).
Would like to be part of the project <3
Great project! Thank you a lot!
It is a very ancient city.
The official language is french. But the most of them speak Koyra Chiini.
The weather is very very hot. (Wow! 36,8 °C the yearly avarege temperature!)