One of the world's most legendary place names, this town of around 35,000 is remote (a flight of 1 1/2 to two hours from Bamako), serene, and atmospheric, combining classic Sahara mystique with ancient Sahelian architecture. It has a flat, sun-baked desert look, with sand-colored mud-brick buildings, narrow streets, and iconic Sudano-Sahelian mosques crowned with wooden toron beams. It blends into the surrounding Sahara, giving it a quiet, faded, almost otherworldly feel—an ancient trading post emerging from sand and sky. Key things to do and see include the iconic Djinguereber Mosque, an imposing, sandy-colored mud-brick structure with tapering towers and a soft, organic silhouette. Built in 1327 by the legendary ruler of the Mali Empire Mansa Musa, it´s an imposing, sandy-colored mud-brick mosque with tapering towers and a soft, organic silhouette. It also remains an active place of worship, so is viewable only from outside by non-Muslims. Another famous mosque is Sankoré, a classic earthen mosque with high, angular mud-brick walls and wooden toron beams, and once part of a famed medieval university where scholars studied theology, astronomy, law, and science—one of Africa’s great centers of learning.
You may also be able to have a look at small private or family-run collections housing centuries-old scientific, religious, and literary manuscripts—fragile treasures preserved from the city´s scholarly golden age. But access is highly restricted due to conservation and security concerns and security, and can be arranged only through trusted cultural contacts. Finally, Timbuktu has long been a crossroads for Tuareg caravans—marked by camel trains, blue Tuareg robes and turbans, traditional music, leatherwork, silver jewelry, and a desert lifestyle rooted in nomadic history. You may be able to experience a bit of this through authorized tour operators.
Read more in my post 6 of Mali´s Must-see Destinations.
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