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Vocabulary
Al Mansur: sixth ruler of the Sa'di
dynasty, which he raised to the height of its power; Ahmad al-Mansur
encouraged the immigration of artisans, and his court was noted
for its splendor; captured Timbuktu in 1591, thus placing a large
amount of gold in the central Moroccan treasury, which earned
him the title al-Dhahabi (the Golden)
Askia Mohamed: West African
statesman and military leader who usurped the throne of the Songhay
Empire (1493) and, in a series of conquests, greatly expanded
and strengthened the empire
Berber: any of the descendants of
the pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa; the Berbers are scattered
in tribes across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt and
tend to be concentrated in the mountain and desert regions of
those countries |
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Caillié,
Réné: French wine clerk and adventurer who
reached Timbuktu on April 20, 1828 as the first European to reach
the city and survive the return
Cairo: capital of Egypt
caravan: group of travelers journeying
together, especially across a desert with packed animals
colonialism: political and economic
system whereby various European nations explored, conquered, settled,
and exploited large areas of the world
colonize: to conquer, settle, and
exploit an area and its people
harmattan: dry, dusty wind that
occurs in certain seasons on the northwestern coast of Africa
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Islam:
monotheistic religion based on the doctrine of submission to Allah
(God) and acceptance of Muhammad as the last chief and prophet
of Allah; the Koran is the sacred text of Islam, believed to contain
the revelation of Allah to Muhammad
Islamic world: the parts of
the globe where Muslims were concentrated, including North Africa,
the Middle East, and South East Asia
Mansa Moussa: mansa of the West
African empire of Mali from 1307 to 1337; left kingdom notable
for its extent and riches; built the Great Mosque at Timbuktu;
best remembered in the Middle East and Europe for the splendor
of his pilgrimage to Mecca (1324)
mansa: spiritual and political leader,
village head
Mecca: city in western Saudi Arabia;
the birthplace of Muhammad; the holiest city of Islam |
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middleman:
trader who buys from producers and sells to retailers or customers;
intermediary
mihrab: prayer alcove in the qibla
wall (the wall facing Mecca) of a mosque
Morocco: country of North Africa
that borders Algeria to the east and southeast, the western Sahara
to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean
Sea to the north
mosque: Muslim house of worship
Muslim: one who believes in and practices
the Islamic faith |
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Niger
River: major river of West Africa; third longest river
in Africa (4,200 kilometers), after the Nile and the Congo
nomads: group of people who have no
permanent home and wander from place to place in search of food,
water, and grazing land
pilgrimage: journey to a shrine
or sacred place as an act of religious devotion
Sahara Desert: largest desert in the
world, filling nearly all of northern Africa; measures approximately
3,000 miles from east to west and between 800 and 1,200 miles
from north to south and has a total area of some 3,320,000 square
miles (8,600,000 square kilometers) |
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Sonni Ali Ber: West African king who began
the expansion of the kingdom of Songhay in 1464; his conquest
of Timbuktu (1468) established the basis for Songhay's future
prosperity and expansion
Sudan: the area of open savanna plains
extending across Africa between the southern limits of the Sahara
Desert and the northern limits of the equatorial rain forests;
term derives from the Arabic bilad as-sudan ("land of the
black peoples")
Sudanese: from the Sudan region
trans-Saharan trade: trade across
the Sahara Desert, especially the exchange of gold and salt
Tuaregs: Berber-speaking nomads who
inhabit an area in North Africa ranging from Algeria, and Libya,
to northern Nigeria and Mali
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Photo Credits:
(top to bottom)
1. Nick Wheeler/CORBIS
2. Wolfgang Kaehler/CORBIS
3. Wolfgang Kaehler/CORBIS
4. UNESCO
5. Wolfgang Kaehler/CORBIS
6. C. & J. Lenars/CORBIS
7. UNESCO
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Suggested
Activities
Taking the Pilgrimage with Mansa Moussa: Imagine that you
are part of the entourage that participated in Mansa Moussa's
pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324. You might be one of his servants,
an Egyptian who received his golden gifts, a scholar who returned
with him to Timbuktu, or any other individual who might have participated
or been influenced by Moussa's pilgrimage. Write a diary entry,
draw a series of pictures, or describe the events that you witnessed
in another creative way. What kinds of things and people did
you see? What did you think of Moussa and his caravan? How did
his pilgrimage affect your life? What do you think he accomplished
for the Mali Empire and his people?
Timbuktu Today: Go to your school or local library and
find 3 to 5 recent newspaper articles on Timbuktu. After carefully
reading these articles and highlighting the most important ideas
in each article, write you own newspaper article entitled 'Timbuktu
Today' for your local, school, or personal newspaper. How do
the recent articles on Timbuktu shed light on what you have learned
about this city? For instance, a manuscript was recently discovered
in Timbuktu's library. Why was this discovery so important
to West Africans? How do new discoveries in Timbuktu influence
the way people think about the ancient city and Africa in general?
(Make sure to model your article after the ones that you read.
Think about how a newspaper article is written with a headline,
an opening paragraph that pulls the reader in, a clear statement
of the most important facts, and an explanation of the significance
of the event or topic.)
Hometown Reporter: Did you know that almost every building
or monument in your hometown has a special history? Choose
a building or monument in your hometown—especially one that
is deteriorating or no longer in use—and research it by looking
up articles in your local newspaper and interviewing people in
your hometown who know about its history. What does this building
or monument reveal about your hometown's past and present?
Create a poster that explains the special history and importance
of this building or monument. Maybe you can display your poster
to teach passers-by about its special history!
Great Cities: What makes a great city? Compare ancient
Timbuktu at the height of its golden age to a great modern city
you already know about or would like to learn about. Brainstorm
a list of characteristics that made these cities flourish. You
can use an encyclopedia to help you. What characteristics do
these two cities share? What are their differences? Using
your list, create your own great city to be built in the year
4040. You might want to build a model, make a guidebook, or write
an advertisement for your city of the future. Make sure to think
carefully about how your city of the future will be similar to
and different from Timbuktu and the modern city that you learned
about.
Lost and Found: An ancient manuscript was recently discovered
in the library at Timbuktu. Imagine that you are an archeologist
or an historian who has made an important discovery at Timbuktu.
What have you found? Be as creative as you can and make
a reproduction (exact copy) of your found artifact. Put it on
display in your living room, classroom, or local museum. Make
sure to include a description of the artifact and its importance
to ancient Timbuktu on a 4x6 index card.
Time Travel: Imagine that you are a scholar from the Songhay
Empire who has traveled in time to the twenty-first century. You
have planned to give a speech to your school entitled 'Learning
from Timbuktu's History.' The main focus of your speech is supposed
to be about the importance of learning throughout history. How
was learning important to the city of Timbuktu and to the Mali
and Songhay Empires? Why is the legacy of Timbuktu's intellectual
history so important to West Africa today? Write a four-minute
speech and perform it in front of an audience of your choice.
You can even film it if you have access to a video camera. You
might want to dress as a scholar in ancient Timbuktu. Be creative
and get to the heart of this important issue!
Kids'
Corner
Click
here to visit UNESCO's Web site for kids, featuring projects,
games, and activities.
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