Timbuktu

Timbuktu, on the southern edge of the Sahara where the desert meets the great bend of the Niger, is one of the most legendary place-names on earth, a byword for remoteness and, in its golden age, for fabulous wealth and learning. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this fabled trans-Saharan trading city grew rich on gold, salt and books, becoming a renowned centre of Islamic scholarship whose universities and libraries held hundreds of thousands of precious manuscripts. Its three great ancient earthen mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, still rise from the sand, and its old quarters, scholarly heritage and desert-port history make Timbuktu a place of extraordinary romance and significance.

What you actually see

• Djingareyber Mosque - the great ancient earthen mosque.
• Sankore Mosque - the historic mosque and centre of learning.
• The manuscripts - the priceless collections of ancient books.
• The old quarters - the historic sand-swept streets and houses.

When to go

November to February, the cool dry season, is the most comfortable in this desert-edge city, avoiding the fierce heat; the mild winter is the time to explore the ancient mosques, libraries and old quarters. The earthen buildings glow beautifully in the low desert light.

Honest expectations

Timbuktu is genuinely remote, on the edge of the Sahara and far from the coast, so it takes real effort to reach, and its fame rests as much on romance and history as on grand monuments, its treasures being its ancient mosques and priceless manuscripts. As one of the most legendary and evocative cities on earth, a UNESCO World Heritage centre of trade and learning, though, Timbuktu is a place of extraordinary resonance.

Nearby

The Niger river and the surrounding Saharan fringe lie around the city.