When fighters connected to al-Qaeda took over Timbuktu 13 years ago, local families and the staff of the Malian city’s Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research rescued tens of thousands of ancient manuscripts.
The texts were smuggled to Bamako for safety. Now, after extensive digitisation, most were brought home in August after a request from local leaders and civil society.
It reflected both the city’s pride in cultural preservation and concerns about the potentially damaging humidity in Bamako. Mali’s government has portrayed it as a victory.
But al-Qaeda remains a threat. Affiliated fighters from the JNIM group attacked Timbuktu as recently as June, and have imposed a fuel blockade on landlocked Mali, threatening to bring down the military regime.
The safeguarding of the manuscripts is an ongoing work and challenges remain to protect them. Staffers of the Ahmed Baba Institute said they plan to install surveillance cameras inside.
Some of the 28,000 manuscripts date back as far as the 13th century. They contain precious knowledge that scholars say exists nowhere else.
For local students, like 24-year-old Baylaly Mohamane, they are a priceless source of information on traditional practices. “I want to be a manuscript specialist,” he said.
“When I become a manuscript specialist, I will be able to do many things that will benefit me and others. Manuscripts contain lots of information about medicines and explanations of how to use them to treat various illnesses,” he added.
Beyond the institute, which is owned by the government, many manuscripts remain in family libraries across Timbuktu, preserved in traditional wooden chests.
Some families struggle financially, raising concerns about the risk of private sales.
“The families that hold the manuscripts are in a difficult situation and receive no support. So, when these families have money problems, they might be tempted to sell” the manuscripts, said Sane Chirfi Alpha, a founding member of a local nonprofit, SAVAMA-DCI, for their preservation.
For many in Timbuktu, the texts are part of the cultural fabric that has shaped the city for centuries, connecting religious festivals, community life and learning across generations.
As digitisation, conservation and training continue, caretakers say the priority now is to secure this written record of West African history and ensure it remains accessible for the future.
