Admin Was Timbuktu a religious city?
Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other madrasas, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries.
What was Mali’s main religion?
Mali is a predominantly Muslim country with 94.84 percent of the population belonging to Islam.
What is Timbuktu culture?
Timbuktu, French Tombouctou, city in the western African country of Mali, historically important as a trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and as a centre of Islamic culture (c. 1400–1600). It is located on the southern edge of the Sahara, about 8 miles (13 km) north of the Niger River.
Which mosque was built in Timbuktu?
Djinguereber mosque
Djinguereber mosque, in common with most buildings in city-centre Timbuktu, is constructed in mud brick; more elegantly known as “earthen architecture”.
What did Timbuktu became the center of in Islam?
Timbuktu had become a center of learning and a producer and exporter of rare and valuable Islamic books.” Timbuktu was a principal staging point along the pilgrimage route to Makkah and thus, became a central point for scholars and travelers to the Middle East and a perfect base for the dissemination of Islamic knowledge and ideas.
Why was Timbuktu important to ancient Mali?
Thesis: Timbuktu was important to the Mali and Songhai Empires because it was a prominent trading post, it was an important center for religious thought and scholarly learning, and it featured extensive libraries, both public and private.
Why is Timbuktu important?
Quick Answer. Timbuktu was considered a very important place due to its geographic position in West Africa as a major economic city during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was also considered a vitally important city for the spread of Islam in Africa, due to the efforts of the University of Sankore .
What is Timbuktu like?
Timbuktu is a city of beige. The sand on the streets is only a shade paler than the banco clay that lines the walls. The monochrome palette is interrupted by splashes of pale green – from the tiny leaves of thorn trees – and blotches of sky blue, when the helmeted UN peacekeepers cruise past in their vehicles.