How archivists risked their lives to save Timbuktu’s famed manuscripts from al-Qaeda but threat remains
For students like 24-year-old Baylaly Mahamane, the manuscripts offer fresh insights from traditional practices. One text describes doctors crushing white wormwood leaves to soothe the stomach, blending millet with mutton to stop vomiting and packing swollen feet with clay and henna.
Timbuktu’s historical manuscripts return home after 13 years in ‘exile’ in Mali’s capital Bamako
Still, 13 years after the occupation of Timbuktu, the security situation in Mali remains precarious and analysts say it has worsened in recent months. Although the city is back under government control, militants continue attacking its surroundings, including as recently as last month.
