Johannes Leo Africanus' Contributions To The History Of Timbuktu

Title page of A Geographical Historie of Africa by

Johannes Leo Africanus (1600)

Johannes Leo Africanus (c. 1494 - 1554) was a Moorish diplomat, traveler, historian, as well as author best known for his mass Description of Africa (Descrittione dell’Africa) which described North African geography, including the famed metropolis of Timbuktu (Timbuctoo) inwards Mali, West Africa.

In almost 1494, Leo Africanus was born inwards Granada, a city at the human foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains inwards Spain. This was a major city on the Castilian (Iberian) peninsula. It had been conquered yesteryear the Moors of Africa for nearly 800 years. After Leo Africanus' birth, his identify unit of measurement moved from Kingdom of Spain to Fez, Kingdom of Morocco inwards North Africa. In Morocco, he studied at the University of Al Karaouines as well as started the intellectual journeying that would Pb him on diplomatic missions across Africa as well as Europe. This included the Maghreb (Also Maghrib, Berber: Tamazgha, Arabic: بلدان المغرب ,) as well as the Timbuktu percentage (c. 1510), as well as hence business office of the Songhai (Songhay) Empire.

Fifteen kilometers northward of the Niger River, Timbuktu is a historic metropolis whose rattling advert conjures a feel of mystery. Known equally the City of Wisdom, the legacy of the muslim virile mortal monarch Mansa Musa as well as the recorded history of the Songhai as well as Republic of Mali Empires are business office of Timbuktu's rich historical heritage.

The Kingdom of Mali

By the 11th Century, Mali's rulers had been converted to Islam in the West African percentage of Timbuktu, a metropolis inwards the Tombouctou Region of Mali. Three centuries later, commentators banker's complaint from Arab travelers that the religion of Islam practiced in this percentage of Africa is somewhat Africanized from that proficient yesteryear their Arabian brethren. Mansa Musa was known inwards his time as the richest virile mortal monarch inwards Africa because of the wealth he acquired in his Empire's wide network of commercial trade.

Untitled woodcut map of Africa from Leo Africanus,

Historiale description de l'Afrique, tierce partie dv monde

Section of an illustrated map that includes depiction of 

Mansa Musa asset a golden nugget, (cir. 1375 Catalan Atlas)

The earliest amount trouble concern human relationship of Timbuktu came from Africanus inwards the 16th Century. He described the city's splendent courtroom life, its scholars, noted equally "bountifully maintained at the king's cost." Timbuktu had a reputation for its learned universities, pomp majestic palace ceremonies, architectural glories, as well as busy markets that included international traders.

Once a fundamental middle of Islamic educational activity inwards Africa, Timbuktu’s architectural glories, including many mosques, have been reclaimed inwards business office yesteryear the desert. By 1828, French adventurer René Caillié's pilgrimage to Timbuktu flora the metropolis ravished yesteryear the raids of neighboring tribes. Populated yesteryear the Fulani, Mande, Songhai, as well as Tuareg, the people as well as the historical romance of scholarship as well as merchandise within Timbuktu remains.

Video of lost libraries of Timbuktu - City of Scholars (BBC)