Unique facts about Timbuktu, the city that is mentioned in the comic Donald Duck, will be reviewed in this article. This historic region is located in Mali and was once a center of commerce, religion and culture.
In addition, this city has been included in the comic story of Donald Duck in search of treasure. It turns out that there are some uniqueness in Timbuktu that not many people know about.
The following are unique facts about Timbuktu, the city mentioned in the Donald Duck comic, as Okezone summarizes from various sources:
1. Seasonal settlements
A city located in Mali is one of the most important places in the history of Islamic civilization in West Africa. Timbuktu was once incarnated as one of the famous centers of Islamic science and civilization.
In the 5th century BC, Timbuktu was originally a temporary seasonal settlement for merchants of salt, gold and camels. At the end of the 6th century Timbuktu became a prosperous city. and became a permanent commercial site in the early 8th century.
2. Named the city of 333 saints
This nickname has a reason because there are 333 saints buried in the city. They are renowned Muslim scholars and teachers who are highly respected for their wisdom, generosity and extraordinary knowledge.
3. It has the oldest mosque
Timbuktu is home to three of the oldest mosques in West Africa. Three mosques namely Jinguereber (Djingareyber), Sankore and Sidi Yahia were built in the 14th century ago.
4. Have gold reserves
Timbuktu is rumored to have unlimited treasures. This rumor spread all the way to the European continent, causing people to come in droves.
The reason is, in 1324, Mansa Moussa (King of Mali who ruled in 1307-1332) visited Mecca bringing thousands of slaves and gold in large quantities. This gold was extracted by Moussa from mines west of Timbuktu.
5. City of scholars
As a place of commerce frequented by people from all walks of life, the city quickly became a meeting place for intellectualism and culture during the 13th century.
In the 13th to 14th centuries the process of learning and teaching Islam developed rapidly. At that time, under the reign of the very prominent ruler of the Mali Empire, Mansa Musa, Timbuktu became a famous center of Islamic learning. People in that area are very fond of reading books.
Over the centuries, a number of renowned scholars and chroniclers have described Timbuktu in various literature. The most famous are: Ibn Battuta, Ibn Faḍl Allāh al-‘Umarī, Shabeni, Ibn Khaldun, Leo Africanus, including René Caillié.
Due to the high level of education there, Abd Arahman Atimmi, a professor of Arabic from Hedjaz (Arabian Peninsula) visited Timbuktu with the intention of teaching.