Seven hundred years ago, Timbuktu was a dream destination for scholars,
traders, and religious men. At the southern edge of the Sahara desert in
what is now Mali, travelers met in the bygone metropolis to exchange
gold, salt, and ideas. Timbuktu is also know for its large number of
historically important manuscripts that have been preserved for
centuries in private households.
Bundled in camel skin, goat skin, and calf leather, the
manuscripts
remaining from Timbuktu's heyday come in an array of sizes. Subjects in
the collections, spanning the 13th through 17th century, include the
Koran, Sufism, philosophy, law, medicine, astronomy, and more. The books
might also contain information about cures for maladies that persist
today.
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