Timbuktu had been a seasonal trading post established in 1100 A.C., where the Saharan Desert and the Niger Delta meet,Timbuktu, city in the western African country of Mali, historically important as a
trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and as a center of Islamic culture (c. 1400–1600).The importance of Timbuktu to African heritage is priceless due to its historic position in West Africa as a
major economic city during the 15th and 16th centuries. It is also considered an important city for the spread of Islam in Africa, due to the efforts of the prestigious Koranic University of Sankore.
The importance of Timbuktu to African heritage is priceless due to its historic position in West Africa as a major knowledge hub and vibrant economic city during the 15th and 16th centuries. Timbuktu is an old city of great significance, whose name is the most recognizable in the history of Africa.
Timbuktu was one of the most important cities in the
Mali Empire because of its location near the Niger River bend and so it was fed by the trade along both the east and west branches of this great water highway. In addition, Timbuktu was the starting point for trans-Saharan camel caravans which transported goods northwards.Occupying a strategic location in the Sahara, it served as a convenient meeting place for neighboring civilizations, nomadic Berber and Arab peoples from the north. A premier
trading center for West Africa that often attracted European traders, it continues to serve as an entrepot for rock-salt from Taoudenni.