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The Meanings of Timbuktu (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R307
Discovery Miles 3 070
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The Meanings of Timbuktu (Hardcover)
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Loot Price R307
Discovery Miles 3 070
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Salt comes from the north, gold from the south, but the word of God
and the treasures of wisdom are only to be found in Timbuktu. -
15th-century Malian proverb. In a joint project between South
Africa and Mali, a library to preserve more than 200 000 Arabic and
West African manuscripts dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries
is currently under construction. It is the first official cultural
project of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad),
the socio-economic development plan of the African Union, and when
the library is built, the cultural role of Timbuktu will be
revived, as it becomes the safehaven for the treasured manuscripts.
The manuscripts prove that Africa had a rich legacy of written
history, long before western colonisers set foot on the continent.
This volume, authored by leading international scholars, begins to
sketch the 'meaning' of Timbuktu within the context of the
intellectual history of West Africa, in particular, and of the
African continent, in general. The title covers four broad areas:
Part I provides an introduction to the region; outlines what
archaeology can tell us of its history, examines the paper and
various calligraphic styles used in the manuscripts; and explains
how ancient institutions of scholarship functioned. Part II begins
to analyse what the manuscripts can tell us of African history.
Part III offers insight into the lives and works of just a few of
the many scholars who achieved renown in the region and beyond.
Part IV provides a glimpse into Timbuktu's libraries and private
collections. Part V looks at the written legacy of the eastern half
of Africa, which like that of the western region, is often ignored.
A fascinating read for anyone who wishes to gain an understanding
of the aura of mystique and legend that surrounds Timbuktu. The
Meanings of Timbuktu strives to contextualize and clarify the
importance of efforts to preserve Timbuktu's manuscripts for Mali,
for Africa and for the intellectual world.
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