Timbuktu
Timbuktu is a town in Mali, situated 20 km north of the Niger River. It is said to have been founded by Tuareg nomads. It was a regional trade where caravans met to exchange goods in the olden days. Timbuktu flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory, and slaves.
It is derived from the French word Tombouctou, which means any distant or outlandish place/ anywhere far away; this brings us to the commonly known joke phrase about Timbuktu " from here to Timbuktu" used to describe some remote, hard-to-reach mythical place, but never a real destination that one could actually visit.
Official languages used in the city are the Songhai languages despite the official language of Mali is French. The Songhai languages are spoken mainly along the Niger River, from Djenné and Timbuktu in Mali eastward as far as Benin, with extensions into adjacent countries.
The official currency in Mali is the West African CFA Franc (XOF), which is divided into 100 centimes and is tied to the Euro. The currency rate to USD is around 1 XOF is equal 0.00185527 USD.
The general weather over the year is dry and partly windy. Muslim is the common religion in the city.
When you visit the beautiful ancient city, there are several places/things to visit and do. I will highlight a few of the places you could never miss to check out :
- Djinguereber Mosque | The Djinguereber Mosque in Timbuktu, Mali is a famous learning center of Mali built in 1327 and cited as Djingareyber or Djingarey Ber in various languages. Its design is accredited to Abu Es Haq es Saheli who was paid 200 kg of gold by Musa I of Mali, emperor of the Mali Empire
- Ahmed Baba Institute | The Ahmed Baba Institute, officially the Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic Research, is a library and research centre in Timbuktu. The centre was founded in 1973, with financing primarily from Kuwait. It was named after 17th-century Timbuktu scholar Ahmad Baba al Massufi.
- Sidi Yahiya Mosque | Also known as the Mosque of Muhammad-n-Allah is a mosque and madrassa of Timbuktu. The construction of the mosque began in 1400 under the leadership of Sheikh El-Mokhtar Hamalla of Timbuktu and was finished in 1440 A.D. The mosque was named after its first imam, Sidi Yahya al-Tadelsi.
- Flamme de la Paix | The most spectacular monument in Timbuktu (Memorial to commemorate the end of the Tuareg Rebellion)
- Mission Culturelle de Tombouctou | Heritage preservation in Timbuktu. Get to learn and know more about Mali's cultural heritage.
- Centre De Récherches Historiques Ahmad Baba | amazing collection of ancient manuscripts and books.
- Sankore University | One of the world's oldest Universities and the center of today's education.
Visit the beautiful ancient city with Alkhaleej Tours. Offering affordable prices to all our customers.