Timbuktu

Timbuktu (Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu; French: Tombouctou), umwhile spelt Timbuctoo an Timbuktoo an aw, is a ceety in the Wast African naition o Mali situatit 15 km (9.3 mi) north o the River Niger on the soothren edge o the Sahara Desert. It is the caipital o the Timbuktu Region, ane o the aicht admeenistrative regions o Mali. It haed a population o 54,453 in the 2009 census.

Timbuktu

Tombouctou
Ceety
  transcription(s)
 • Koyra Chiini:Tumbutu
Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu
Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu
Map showin the main trans-Saharan caravan routes in around 1400. Shown an aw are the Ghana Empire (till the 13t century) an 13t – 15t century Mali Empire. Note the wastren route runnin frae Djenné via Timbuktu tae Sijilmassa. Present day Niger in yellae.
Map showin the main trans-Saharan caravan routes in around 1400. Shown an aw are the Ghana Empire (till the 13t century) an 13t – 15t century Mali Empire. Note the wastren route runnin frae Djenné via Timbuktu tae Sijilmassa. Present day Niger in yellae.
Timbuktu is located in Mali
Timbuktu
Timbuktu
Location o Timbuktu athin Mali
Coordinates: 16°46′33″N 3°00′34″W / 16.77583°N 3.00944°W / 16.77583; -3.00944 3°00′34″W / 16.77583°N 3.00944°W / 16.77583; -3.00944
KintraMali
RegionTombouctou Region
CercleTimbuktu Cercle
Settled12t century
Elevation
261 m (856 ft)
Population
 (2009)[1]
 • Total54,453
TeepCultural
Criteriaii, iv, v
Designatit1988 (12th session)
Reference no.119
State PartyMali
RegionAfricae
Endangered1990–2005

History

Stairtin oot as a saisonal dounset, Timbuktu became a permanent dounset early in the 12t century. Efter a shift in tradin routes, Timbuktu flourished frae the trade in salt, gowd, ivory an slaves, an it became pairt o the Mali Empire early in the 13t century. In the first hauf o the 15t century the Tuareg tribes teuk control o the ceety for a short period till the expandin Songhay Empire absorbit the ceety in 1468. A Moroccan airmy defeatit the Songhay in 1591, an made Timbuktu, rather than Gao, thair stranghauld. The invaders established a new rulin class, the arma, who efter 1612 became independent o Morocco. Housomeivver, the gowden age o the ceety wis ower an it entered a lang period o decline. Different tribes govrened till the French teuk ower in 1893, a situation that lastit till it became pairt o the current Republic o Mali in 1960. Presently Timbuktu is impoverished an suffers frae desertification. Several initiatives are bein unnertaken tae restore the historic manuscripts still kept in the ceety. Meanwhile, tourism forms an important soorce o income.

In its Gowden Age, the toun's numerous Islamic scholars and extensive trading network made possible an important beuk trade: thegither wi the campuses o the Sankore madrassah, an Islamic varsity, this established Timbuktu as a scholarly centre in Africae.Several notable historic writers, sic as Shabeni an Leo Africanus, hae describit Timbuktu. Thir stories fuelled speculation in Europe, whaur the ceety's reputation shiftit frae bein extremely rich tae bein mysterious. This reputation owershadows the toun itsel in modren times, tae the pynt whaur it is best kent in Wastren cultur as an expression for a distant or ootlandish place.

On 1 Aprile 2012, ane day efter the captur o Gao, Timbuktu wis captured frae the Malian militar bi the Tuareg rebels o the MNLA an Ansar Dine.[2] Five days later, the MNLA declared the region independent o Mali as the naition o Azawad.[3]The newly declared poleetical entity haes no been recognizit bi ony local naitions or the internaitional commonty.[4]

Climate

The wather is het an dry throughoot hintle o the year. Average daily maximum temperaturs in the hettest months o the year – Aprile, Mey an Juin – exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Lawest temperaturs occur durin the Northren Hemisphere winter – December, Januar an Februar. Housomeivver, average maximum temperaturs dae no drop belaw 30 °C (86 °F). Thir "winter" months are characterizit bi a dry, dusty trade wind blowin frae the Saharan Tibesti Region soothwaird tae the Guwf o Guinea: pickin up dust pairticles on thair wey, thir winds leemit visibility in wha haes been dubbit the 'Harmattan Haze'.[5] Additionally, when the dust settles in the ceety, saund builds up an desertification looms.[6] Timbuktu's climate is classifeed as BWhw accordin tae the Köppen Climate Classification: arid, wi nae month averagin belaw 0 °C (32 °F) an a dry saison durin winter.

Climate data for Timbuktu
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record heich °C (°F)36
(97)
39
(102)
42
(108)
45
(113)
48
(118)
47
(117)
47
(117)
43
(109)
47
(117)
47
(117)
40
(104)
42
(108)
48
(118)
Average heich °C (°F)30.0
(86.0)
33.2
(91.8)
36.6
(97.9)
40.0
(104.0)
42.2
(108.0)
41.6
(106.9)
38.5
(101.3)
36.5
(97.7)
38.3
(100.9)
39.1
(102.4)
35.2
(95.4)
30.4
(86.7)
36.8
(98.3)
Average law °C (°F)13.0
(55.4)
15.2
(59.4)
18.5
(65.3)
22.5
(72.5)
26.0
(78.8)
27.3
(81.1)
25.8
(78.4)
24.8
(76.6)
24.8
(76.6)
22.7
(72.9)
17.7
(63.9)
13.5
(56.3)
21.0
(69.8)
Record law °C (°F)5
(41)
8
(46)
7
(45)
10
(50)
15
(59)
21
(70)
17
(63)
21
(70)
18
(64)
12
(54)
7
(45)
1
(34)
1
(34)
Average precipitation mm (inches)0.6
(0.02)
0.1
(0.00)
0.1
(0.00)
1.0
(0.04)
4.0
(0.16)
16.4
(0.65)
53.5
(2.11)
73.6
(2.90)
29.4
(1.16)
3.8
(0.15)
0.1
(0.00)
0.2
(0.01)
182.8
(7.2)
Average rainy days10001134310014
Source #1: World Meteorological Organization[7]
Source #2: Weatherbase[8]


Sister ceeties

Timbuktu is a sister ceety tae the follaein ceeties:[9]

References

Freemit airtins


Template:Niger RiverTemplate:Communes o the Tombouctou Region