Tombouctou (Timbuktu)

Timbuktu (or Tombouctou as it's locally known) is a legendary place that was founded by the Tuareg in the 11th century as a trading post. By the 15th century, during the times of the Empire of Mali, it was thriving on the trade of salt and gold, and it was an important center of Islamic scholarship. In 1591 though, the town was sacked by Sultan Mansour of Marrakech and started to decline. It was abandoned and the desert sands took over, but it was fought over up until 1894 when the French arrived. By that time Timbuktu had become legendary as an inaccessible remote outpost. Even nowadays it requires some hassle to get there.

Timbuktu is a typical desert town, low flat-roofed buildings, made out of mud, with ornamented doors line the narrow streets. The desert surrounding it is constantly on the move and in some of the outskirts of town some buildings are so near to the desert that you will actually have to step down from street level, to get inside. In the 15th century the Djingerebur and the Sankore mosques were built, although they have been altered various times. Together with the Sidi Yahaya Mosque they are three of the oldest mosques in the world. The Grand Marché is in the Old Town, but it is not very 'Grand'.

There are a few hotels and restaurants in town. The best way to get to Timbuktu is to go to Kabara, 11 km away, by boat and take a taxi from there. When the level of the Niger River is so low that it is innavigable you will have to take the bus or plane from Bamako. Timbuktu is 705 km northeast from the capital. The best times to visit Timbuktu are in March or November, when caravans of more than 3000 camels gather around town for their journey to Taoudenni in the north of Mali.