WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -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.

Detailed explanation-2: -Timbuktu was a center of Islamic scholarship under several African empires, home to a 25, 000-student university and other madrassas that served as wellsprings for the spread of Islam throughout Africa from the 13th to 16th centuries.

Detailed explanation-3: -With Gao the capital of the Songhai Empire, Timbuktu enjoyed a relatively autonomous position. Merchants from Ghadames, Awjilah, and numerous other cities of North Africa gathered there to buy gold and slaves in exchange for the Saharan salt of Taghaza and for North African cloth and horses.

Detailed explanation-4: -In 1960 it became part of the newly independent Republic of Mali. Timbuktu is now an administrative centre of Mali.

Detailed explanation-5: -Founded sometime before 1100 A.D., Timbuktu quickly grew from a seasonal camp for storing salt and other goods to a major center for caravan trade. Travelers coming from the west brought gold to trade for salt from mines to the east.