From the Middle of Timbuktu Ancient Manuscripts Prove Africaís Literary Tradition by Jessica Shyu Tucked away in a corner of the Library of Congress, far from the bustle of crowds on the National Mall, sit 23 browned and brittle manuscripts from Timbuktu, Mali. The documents are inconspicuous in their glass cases and presented with little fanfareóbut donít be fooled. Dating back more than 400 years, these Arabic manuscripts were only recently recognized by Western scholars. The documents shatter lifetimes of Western belief that African culture was based solely on oral tradition, proving Africaís rich literary past. The exhibit, ìAncient Manuscripts From the Desert Libraries of Timbuktuî opened in conjunction with the 37th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival showcasing the cultural heritage of Mali. Today, Timbuktu may be synonymous with ìmiddle of nowhere,î but the legendary Malian city, perched on the edge of the Sahara Desert in West Africa, was one of the worldís key centers of trade for more than 600 years. Its universities and mosques made it a spiritual, intellectual and literary haven whose influences stretched to Western and Northern Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. ìSo little is known of Africa Ö many people think it is devoid of knowledge,î said Brandon County, a Columbia University student studying Malian history. ìItís good to have this [exhibit] here to show that it is not just folk life with music and crafts but that there is also a scholarly life.î Written mostly by local authors in Timbuktu, the manuscripts cover a wide selection of subjects, ranging from Islamic law to medicine to poetry. Accompanied by brief explanations of the Arabic script, the manuscripts offer a glimpse of everyday life in the ancient city. An astronomical diagram, for instance, demonstrates how to calculate horoscopes and seasons, while historical recordings explain the rise of the Songhai Empire, a key state in Western Africa, and how Islamic law determines women and childrenís rights and statuses. Brittle and stained from years of sitting in water-damaged buildings, many of the documents have been passed on by the descendents of the original scholars. Although only a ìfocus of increasing scholarly discussion among specialists studying Islam for the past dozen years,î African communities have known of the manuscripts for generations, said Marieta Harper, Africa area specialist for the Library of Congress. ìWritten documents were in everyday use in Africa,î Harper said, noting that 16th-century explorer Leo Africanus, an Arab born in Spain, ìobserved that books were being used daily by Africans.î However, with climatic changes and invaders in the 16th century, West African scholarship suffered, and as a result, very little was known about it in the Western world. When the Songhai Empire dissolved in the late 1500s, West Africa became a group of local city states that warred with one another off and on for the next 300 years, Harper said. Although Europeans arrived at the coastal areas for ìcommercial ventures,î their visits did not mention African scholarship and, in turn, helped bury centuries of academia from the rest of the world. Malian scholars estimate that as many as 1 million ancient manuscripts dating back to the 14th century reside in the country alone. Additional manuscripts have been found or relocated outside of Africa, including the United States. The libraryís Africana collection already holds several ancient West African manuscripts similar to those on display here. Soon joining the set will be copies of the exhibited documents, which are on loan from two major private collections in the region. ìAncient Manuscripts From the Desert Libraries of Timbuktuî runs through Sept. 3 at the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave., SW. For more information, please call (202) 707-4604 or visit www.loc.gov. Jessica Shyu is an editorial intern for The Washington Diplomat.