US EditionSaved From Militants, Timbuktu’s Famed Manuscripts Return Home After 13 Years in Mali’s Capital
TIMBUKTU, TOMBOUCTOU REGION, AUG 11 – More than 200 crates weighing 5.5 tons of manuscripts, saved from destruction by militants, are being returned to preserve Mali's cultural heritage, officials said.
- On Monday, August 11, 2025, officials from Mali handed over historic Timbuktu documents to local elders in the city of Timbuktu.
- This event followed the military government's February commitment to repatriate manuscripts preserved after al-Qaida-linked militants occupied Timbuktu in 2012.
- The first batch, comprising over 200 crates weighing 5.5 tons, was flown from Bamako to Timbuktu to shield the documents from the capital's humidity.
- Malian Minister of Higher Education Bouréma Kansaye highlighted the manuscripts as an important testament to the intellectual achievements and cultural significance of Timbuktu, emphasizing the need to safeguard, digitize, research, and share these valuable documents.
- The return marks the initial stage in restoring cultural heritage amid ongoing security challenges, as militants continue to threaten Timbuktu's surroundings.
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In Mali, the Malian authorities began the return of the manuscripts of Timbuktu on Monday, August 11. They were transferred in 2012 under special conditions from Timbuktu to Segou, then to Bamako by librarians, associations and residents to save them from the destruction of radical jihadist groups in 2012. The return of these manuscripts was long claimed in the legendary city of Timbuktu.
Most of the documents dating from the 13th century were saved by the Malian guards of the Timbuktu library, which transported them out of the city occupied.
In 2012 the government had moved them from Timbuctu to protect them from an Islamist group: now it is returning them to the city, after various insistences
Saved from militants, Timbuktu’s famed manuscripts return home after
BAMAKO: The Malian military government on Monday started returning home the historic manuscripts of Timbuktu, which were spirited out of their fabled northern city when it was occupied by Al-Qaeda-linked militants more than a decade ago. Islamic radicals destroyed more than 4,000 manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century, after they seized Timbuktu in 2012, according
Associated Press News
Saved from militants, Timbuktu's famed manuscripts return home after 13 years in Mali's capital
The Malian military government has returned home the first batch of the manuscripts of Timbuktu, dating back to the 13th century, that were spirited out of their fabled northern city when it was occupied by al-Qaida-linked militants more than a decade ago.
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