The Great Fire of Timbuktu: A Library Lost in Flames

In 1591, Saadian forces from Morocco invaded the Songhai Empire and captured Timbuktu. But decades before the invasion, a devastating fire swept through the city's manuscript libraries, consuming countless volumes—including unique works of astronomy, medicine, and philosophy. This episode uncovers the story of that fire: when it happened, how it started, and what was lost. We explore the accounts of Timbuktu's chroniclers like al-Sadi and Mahmud Kati, and examine how the fire changed the course of scholarship in the city. What was the role of the Qadiriyya Sufi order in preserving texts? How did the fire affect Timbuktu's standing as a center of learning? And what can we learn from the fragments that survived? Join Lucas and Luna as they sift through the ashes of a forgotten tragedy. #Timbuktu #GreatFire #Manuscripts #SonghaiEmpire #Sankore #Djinguereber #AhmadBaba #TarikhAlSudan #MahmudKati #Qadiriyya #SaadianInvasion #BookBurning #AfricanHistory #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast #WestAfrica #IntellectualHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo