Mali, Africa: Who came to Visit?

Mali has had some interesting but amazing encounters with Asians and Europeans throughout the country’s history. The one major event that impacted Mali the most involved the city of Timbuktu.

"Founded as a place for the nomadic people in West Africa to have a place to call home, the city of Timbuktu was founded in 1100 CE." (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/596022/Timbuktu) The placement of this city is the perfect place for a city that would become one of Mali’s and in fact one of Africa’s most prominent trading centers. Timbuktu is located at the meeting of the desert and a form of water which makes it ideal for transportation as well as for people dwelling. However, Timbuktu was not a part of the Mali Empire until the 14^th century, but when it did, it was a flourishing trade center for gold and salt and it boosted the economy of the Mali Empire in a huge way. Once Timbuktu joined the Mali Empire, Islam was brought to the city of Timbuktu and it became one of the Islamic centers in Africa.

"European explorers first reached the city of Timbuktu in 1826 when Gordon Laing from Scotland arrived but he died shortly after from illness. In 1828, disguised as an Arab but really from France, Rene-Auguste Caillie arrived in Timbuktu and stayed for 2 weeks before returning to France with a report on what he found. Then in 1853, after traveling 5 years across Africa, a German geographer named Heinrich Barth reached the city of Timbuktu and actually published a chronicle of his travels including the city of Timbuktu. The city was then in 1894 captured by the French who then restored the city back to its glory days except never put in a railway or road connecting it to any other city. Then in 1960, Timbuktu became part of the Republic of Mali." (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/596022/Timbuktu) (citation applies to the whole paragraph)