The Timbuktu Manuscripts That Survived Jihad

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic rescue of Timbuktu's manuscripts during the 2012 occupation by Ansar Dine and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. They focus on the little-known story of the Fondo Kati, a collection of over 7,000 manuscripts hidden by the Haidara family. Lucas recounts how Abdel Kader Haidara and his team smuggled the fragile documents out of the city on boats and donkey carts, evading jihadist checkpoints. The conversation touches on the role of the local population in protecting the manuscripts, the logistical challenges of transporting centuries-old texts across the Niger River, and the ongoing efforts to digitize and preserve the collection. Luna asks about the significance of the Fondo Kati, which includes works by the 16th-century scholar Mahmud Kati and his descendants. Lucas explains that these manuscripts reveal the intellectual networks connecting Timbuktu to the wider Islamic world, from Cairo to Baghdad. The episode ends with a reflection on what the rescue means for African cultural heritage and the resilience of knowledge in the face of destruction. #Timbuktu #Manuscripts #FondoKati #AbdelKaderHaidara #MammaHaidara #MahmudKati #AnsarDine #AQIM #2012Occupation #NigerRiver #Djenne #Bamako #Sahel #WestAfrica #CulturalHeritage #ManuscriptRescue #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo