Okay, I admit it: I didn't think this was a real place. Well, not only is it real, it's got a fun history.
According to TimbuktuFoundation.Org, there was an old Tuareg woman who lived by a well in the area "called Tin Abutut who stayed at the well. In the Tuareg language, Tin Abutut means 'the lady with the big naval.' With the passage time, the name Tin Abutut became Timbuktu." (Or Tombouctou if you're French.) How many towns can boast being named after someone's belly button?
Another interesting tidbit I found was that it was not until the 20th century that a European or American actually went to and returned from Timbuktu. How fortunate that Ibn Battuta (1304-1368) went there and had been able to put it on one of his maps!
Sadly, Timbuktu is one of the poorest spots on earth, a mudbrick and tent settlement on the edge of the Sahara with people who struggle daily for existence. The mosque in the photo above is built of mud, a testament to the importance of worship in the lives of those who live there.
The desert has such stark beauty! How can something so spare be so stunning?
i love this story!
ReplyDeleteYou use mud bricks in the desert because it's the easiest thing to use. There's not much available stone unless you like digging in sand!
ReplyDeleteTimbuctou used to be rather wealthy, apparently, as it was at the junction of a number of trading routes for things like salt, food, slaves, etc. As you saw on your vTrip, it's gone downhill in recent centuries!
Looking forward to your next excursion ...!
I'm so glad we went to Timbuktu today. When I was in 2nd grade my teacher used to use the phrase "from here to Timbuktu" quite frequently. And now I can say I've been from here to Timbuktu, too! :)
ReplyDeleteMan... Do you think God wants to come visit when the house you have him staying in is made of mud?
ReplyDeleteI tend to think God is more concerned with what s going on in the home than its architecture.
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