Timbuktu – city in the middle of nowhere Part I

Random thoughts
by Dr A Q Khan

While we were studying geography at school, I came across two names that always fascinated me, and it almost became an obsession with me to see them one day. The two places of my dreams were Timbuktu in Mali (Africa) and Lhasa in Tibet (China). Timbuktu, we learnt, was a city in the middle of nowhere and Lhasa was on top of the world. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit both places and I would like to share some of the thrill of the experiences of visiting Timbuktu. Parts I and II will deal with some aspects of the geographic and historical backgrounds of the area, Part III will deal with the fascinating city of Timbuktu itself and Part IV will deal with our personal experiences there.

Together with colleagues and friends, I visited Timbuktu four times between 1998 and 2002, every time enjoying it more than on the previous visit. Every time we took a different route to get there, in this way also seeing many new places along the way. In Part IV I will also dwell on the fine character of the local people, their friendliness and hospitality and on some of our efforts to help the people of the area, who are extremely poor.

Since most of us do not have easy access to some of the lesser known aspects of our cultural heritage and history and are often not aware of its existence, I have elaborated on the geographic and historical backgrounds. The information contained in these articles is compiled mainly from the following three sources:

A travelogue written about our trips by my dear friend Mr A Mebood Siddiqui entitled Timbuktu – City in the Middle of Nowhere.

West Africa – Travel Survival Kit by Alex Newton and David Else, Lonely Planet, London.

The Songhay Empire by David C Conrad, Scholastic Library Publishing.

Statistics at a glance (dated 2001)

Country’s name: Republic of Mali

Capital: Bamako

Area: 1,240,140 sq.km. (483,654 sq.mi.)

Population: 10,800,000

Ethnic groups: Bambara, Tuareg, Dogon, Songhai, Senoufou, Fulani

Languages: French (official), Bambara, Songhai, Tuareg and Arabic.

Religion: Muslim 90 percent; traditional African religions 9 percent; Christian 1 percent.

Economy: GDP $ 5.8 billion ($1=470 CFA francs)

GDP per head: $300

Currency: CFA franc

Annual growth: 3.2 percent

Inflation: 12.7 percent

Major industries: Cotton, livestock, gold mining and fishing

Major trading partners: France, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Germany and Switzerland

Geography

At nearly twice the size of France, the landlocked Republic of Mali is one of the largest West African countries, but it has fewer people per square mile than any other country in the area. It is hemmed in by Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania and Algeria. The northern region of Mali is nearly completely made up of the Saharan desert, the middle is a belt of arid semi-desert (known as the Sahel) and in the south the rainfall is sufficient for cultivation. Mali’s major geographical feature is the Niger River, which runs right up to the edge of the Sahara before turning right and heading back to the ocean. In the upper southern region, the Niger and Bani rivers join to form a rich inland delta, but it is only in the lower southern regions where rainfall is reliable that the dryness gives way to small pockets of natural forest.

Desertification is Mali’s most serious problem, threatening even those parts of the country that are not desert already. The Mopti and Gao areas are particularly affected. Because forests have been cleared for wood to be used as fuel, the demand for which is constantly on the rise, even the well-watered south is threatened. Overgrazing and the droughts of the 1970s and 1980s are further factors of deforestation. Sixty-five percent of the country is now desert or semi-desert.

Climate

The temperature in Mali, particularly in the north, often reaches 40 C (104 F) or above, and rainfall is scarce. However, it does cool down a little towards the end of the year. In the south the rainy season is from June to September during which time the humidity is high. In the Sahel area rainfall is variable. Between December and February the Harmattan winds blowing off the desert deposit fine layers of sand in the cities. From October to February is the best time of the year to visit Mali’s northern areas, which include the city of Timbuktu.

Economics

While Mali was a French colony it was planned to be developed into an agricultural area. The main idea was to grow cheap crops like rice and cotton for export to France. However, for various reasons, the plans did not deliver the desired results. When Mali became independent in 1960, the French left behind the largest irrigation works and the longest railways in West Africa (1,200 km between Dakar, Senega, and Bamako). During the 1960s Mali exported food and embarked on a limited programme of road improvement in order to boost the export potential of the country. However, this programme failed due to mismanagement, and within a few years food had to be imported. The droughts of 1973-74 and 1983-84 worsened conditions. Fortunately, Mali has rich gold deposits, thought to be equivalent to those in Ghana. Since 1990, Australia’s BHP Mineral Company mines gold from Syama in the south and this accounts for 10 percent of the GDP. Livestock and cotton remain the major exports of the country.

Culture

The largest tribe in Mali is the Bambara, many of whom are civil servants. The Dogons and the Tuareg usually follow a more traditional way of life. The traditional music of Mali is based on the songs of the Jalis (or Griots), a distinct caste in the social structure since the days of the Mali Empire. The choice instrument is the kora, a harp-lute-type string instrument with 21 strings stretched over a long neck of rosewood and plucked with the thumb and index finger of each hand. Jalis music has been actively encouraged by official policy that values African music over Western influences. Mali’s most famous musician, Salif Keita, is an ambassador for Griot music and although he now resides in Paris, he occasionally plays with the legendary Rail Band in Bamako. The most captivating event on the Mali calendar is the Crossing of the Cattle at Diafarabe’. In a tradition that goes back about 160 years, the Diafarabe’ gears up to cope with a sudden influx of cattle and herders on the river bank in the month of December. This is a time for celebration and festivities as herders are reunited with family and friends after several long months in the desert. Local chiefs and elders meet before the big event and the order of the crossing is decided by the processes of fair play and democracy. The cattle are then led to the grass that is, both proverbially and literally, greener on the other side. The Dogons are famous for their masks and during the five-day Festivity of Masks held in April, many of these masks are used in ritual ceremonies that go back more than 1000 years.

Food

Most common are poulet yassa (grilled chicken in chilli sauce), riz yollof (vegetables or meat cooked in a sauce of oil and tomato) and couscous (semolina steamed with meat and vegetables). Along the Niger, fish dishes are popular and include Nile perch, either fried, grilled, stewed or baked.

(To be concluded)

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