15. The Libraries of Timbuktu helped keep priceless works safe from the African elements for centuries – and now private libraries keep books safe from terrorists.
For centuries, the city of Timbuktu, in modern-day Mali, was a true cultural melting pot. A major stopping point on the caravan trails through the deserts of Africa, it welcomed Berbers, Arabs and numerous nomadic peoples. Many of them would bring manuscripts with them and, before long, Timbuktu had been transformed into a real center of knowledge. Tens of thousands of manuscripts were either purchased, donated or copied and then stored in special dedicated libraries. By the 16th century, the Libraries of Timbuktu were one of the cultural treasures of the world.
With the Moroccan invasion of the city in the 16th century, intellectual life in Timbuktu started to fade. But while the libraries were closed and put to other uses, the people of the city were determined to preserve their inherited knowledge. Thus began the tradition of individual households safeguarding manuscripts. Some works were hidden in walls, others beneath floors or in rooftops. Many wealthier people even established their own private libraries, often dedicated to a single area of knowledge such as science, the arts or history. The tradition continues to this day.