The manuscripts of Timbuktu: armed conflict and the preservation of memory

Abstract

This paper explores the events surrounding the rescue of manuscripts from Timbuktu in 2012/2013. It also explores the significance of these materials, which include works from a variety of disciplines including law, theology, history, science and mathematics and that date from the 12th to the 20th century. Timbuktu was once a prominent center of scholarship and its manuscripts represent a confluence of peoples and cultures, with works from throughout the Islamic world including those produced by the city's own scholars. They are part of the extraordinary, yet little known, history of Africa's documentary heritage.