Manuscripts of Timbuktu, The

Nestled in the desert wastes of Mali are the beautiful and evocative mud-turreted mosques of Timbuktu. For over 900 years, Timbuktu was the centre of African intellectualism, an important trade route, a satellite of Islamic learning and home to the venerated writer, scholar and political activist Ahmed Baba.

Today, Timbuktu’s golden age has faded, but its treasure is encapsulated in 10 000 exquisite, laboriously hand-painted manuscripts that have been handed down from father to son for generations. These archived, ancient manuscripts are now seen as an important part of Africa’s intellectual heritage, and have assisted in the revision and reclamation of Africa’s rich history. Using interviews with present scholars, historians and Imams and a recreation of the life of Ahmed Baba, this thorough documentary explores and celebrates the manuscripts’ legacy against the broader political, social and intellectual African context.