Scholar cares for sacred Islamic texts at Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, 2004.
Timbuktu, a city renowned for its rich history and vast collection of ancient manuscripts, faced a crisis during the 2012–2013 Islamist occupation. The event sparked global concern, particularly when the Ahmed Baba Institute—a major repository for these priceless texts—was razed by fleeing militants as French and Malian forces retook the city in January 2013.
Initial Fears and Reality
Initial media and activist reports widely claimed that thousands, or even tens of thousands, of rare, centuries-old manuscripts had been destroyed when the Ahmed Baba Institute was set on fire. These reports fueled international outrage and framed the event as a catastrophic loss of global heritage. However, on-the-ground investigations and expert assessments later revealed a different story.
While the physical building of the Ahmed Baba Institute was indeed burned, the vast majority of its manuscripts had been secretly evacuated by local librarians and community members before the Islamists arrived. Volunteers risked their lives to transport thousands of manuscripts to safer locations in Bamako and elsewhere, using private homes and even donkey carts to preserve these irreplaceable texts.
The Survival of the Collection
Estimates by library staff and cultural heritage experts suggest that, of the estimated 40,000 manuscripts held in Timbuktu’s collections, only a small fraction—perhaps a few hundred—were unaccounted for or confirmed destroyed. The exact number remains unverified, as no comprehensive post-conflict inventory has been publicly released. The preservation efforts by local communities were remarkably effective, and most of the collection survived the occupation intact.
Timbuktu's History
Timbuktu emerged as a wealthy center of trade, Islam, and learning during the 13th century, attracting a number of Sufi religious scholars. The city was home to more than 60 private libraries, some with collections containing several thousand manuscripts. Sidi Ahmed, a reporter based in Timbuktu, stated that nearly all the libraries secreted their collections before the Islamist forces took the city.
The Ahmed Baba Institute was named for Ahmed Baba al Massufi, the city's most famous teacher, who was held in exile in Marrakesh for many years and forced to teach in a pasha's court. The Moroccan army invaded Timbuktu in 1591 to take control of the gold trade, killing or deporting most of the scholars in the process.
During the Islamist occupation, women were flogged for not covering their hair or wearing bright colors, girls were forbidden from attending school, boys were recruited into the fighters' ranks, music was banned, and 14 ancient mud-brick mausoleums and cemeteries that held the remains of revered Sufi saints were bulldozed.
The Future of Timbuktu's Manuscripts
While the exact number of destroyed manuscripts remains uncertain, it is clear that the efforts of local preservationists played a crucial role in saving the majority of Timbuktu's precious literary heritage. This episode highlights both the vulnerability of cultural heritage in conflict zones and the resilience of local communities in protecting their history. The future of Timbuktu's manuscripts lies in continued efforts to restore and protect these invaluable texts, ensuring that the city's rich history continues to be shared and celebrated for generations to come.
[1] "Timbuktu's ancient manuscripts saved from destruction, experts say." BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-25846354
[3] "The Destruction and Preservation of Timbuktu's Manuscripts." UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/events/603
- The event in Timbuktu, where the Ahmed Baba Institute was razed during the 2012-2013 Islamist occupation, initially appeared as a devastating loss of global cultural heritage due to widespread reports of thousands of centuries-old manuscripts being destroyed.
- However, upon closer examination through on-the-ground investigations and expert assessments, it was found that the majority of the manuscripts from the Ahmed Baba Institute had been secretly evacuated by local librarians and community members before the Islamists arrived.
- In future, the preservation and protection of Timbuktu's manuscripts and cultural heritage will depend on continued restoration and preventive measures, giving the city's rich history a chance to endure and be celebrated for generations to come.
- Despite the destruction of its physical building, Timbuktu's history goes beyond its manuscripts, encompassing centuries of trade, religion, and learning, as well as periods of war and conflict, political instability, and general news events.
