The Timbuktu Manuscripts
Discover a trove of Timbuktu's ancient manuscripts
In collaboration with
Libraries at the edge
A rich heritage in the deserts of the west African sahara
"In the dark night of our present existence, manuscripts are the searchlights that probe our past."Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara, founder of SAVAMA-DCI
Africa's greatest written legacy
Learn about every subject through original pages and passages, pictured and translated like never before
Explore a Universe of Verse
Take a closer look at more than 40,000 pages
Once upon a time in Timbuktu
The story of written heritage and knowledge in West Africa
Words of wisdom
Discover what scholars of Timbuktu had to say
"It’s been said that all the history of Africa is oral. We have more than 400,000 manuscripts here written uniquely by the hands of the hands of Africans. It’s a true Renaissance."Dr. Abdel Kader Haidara, founder of SAVAMA-DCI
Preservation against all odds
Remarkable stories of rediscovery, rescue and resilience
Calligraphy
The different types of calligraphy found in the Timbuktu manuscripts are Suūdᾱnī, Sahrᾱwī, Sūqī, Maghribī, and Sharqī. Book art reached its peak in the 16th century, in the Middle East, Persia, and West Africa.
Comments and Corrections
The manuscripts contain very few crossings-out as professional copyists were subject to rules that had to be respected to make the text readable. Copyists instead used symbols, here in red, to indicate changes, doubts or variations in the lines of text.
Spot the details, page by page
Click to zoom in on damage, decoration, stamps, comments and more
Learn the tricks of the trade
Which material was NOT used to write Timbuktu's manuscripts upon?
Textiles