A collection of medieval manuscripts from Timbuktu that academics hail as proof of an African scholarly tradition go on public show on the continent for the first time on Friday.
Timbuktu in Mali, West Africa, has been trumpeted as the epicenter of Africa’s intellectual heritage, and the discovery of 30,000 lost texts has challenged the stereotype of Africa as a continent with no written history.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has spearheaded a project to protect the texts from illegal trafficking and disrepair by building a new library in the old Islamic city.
“The translation and publication of the manuscripts of Timbuktu will restore the self-respect, the pride, honor and dignity of the people of Africa,” Mbeki told a dinner to raise funds for Operation Timbuktu earlier this week.
An exhibition in Johannesburg will showcase 16 of the most impressive Timbuktu manuscripts, written in ornate calligraphy.
While another collection of Timbuktu manuscripts has been exhibited in the United States, these particular documents are on show for the first time.
Sitting at the gate of the vast Sahara desert and synonymous with exoticism and mystery, Timbuktu was Africa’s intellectual and cultural heart 500 years ago, where merchants would trade gold from West Africa in exchange for salt and other goods.
Founded in 1100 by Tourag nomads, the city was home to many large private libraries and thousands of students.
The documents have been found stashed underneath mud homes or in desert caves, attracting an increasing number of scholars in recent years intent on restoration.
Some in Arabic and some in African languages, they shed light on Timbuktu’s role as a center for peacekeeping in the conflict-ridden tribal region during its glory days, and bear testament to a moderate African version of Islam.
“Not only are we preserving the heritage of Timbuktu, of the Islamic world and Africa, but we are preserving a message of love and peace, of living together in a multicultural world,” said Mbeki, noting that Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in peace together in medieval Timbuktu.
Under the restoration project, South Africa has trained Malian curators to restore the texts, which date back to the 13th century and were used to teach astrology, mathematics, science, medicine, religion, economics and other subjects.
The texts, which are kept in the Ahmed Baba Institute and more than 20 other private libraries in Timbuktu, are in danger of being destroyed without better care, said South Africa’s Standard Bank, which is hosting the exhibition.
