Skip to content

Timbuktu

City in Mali

One of the 21 Finalists

Timbuktu

Tombouctou Region, Mali

Timbuktu (pron.: /ˌtɪmbʌkˈt/), also spelled as Tinbuktu, Timbuctoo and Timbuktoo (French: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: Tumbutu), is a historical and still-inhabited city in the West African nation of Mali, situated 20 km (12 mi) north of the River Niger on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The town is the capital of the Timbuktu Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali. It had a population of 54,453 in the 2009 census.

Starting out as a seasonal settlement, Timbuktu became a permanent settlement early in the 12th century. After a shift in trading routes, Timbuktu flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory and slaves. It became part of the Mali Empire early in the 14th century. In the first half of the 15th century the Tuareg tribes took control of the city for a short period until the expanding Songhai Empire absorbed the city in 1468. A Moroccan army defeated the Songhai in 1591, and made Timbuktu, rather than Gao, their capital.

The invaders established a new ruling class, the Arma, who after 1612 became virtually independent of Morocco. However, the golden age of the city was over, during which it was a major learning and cultural center of the Mali empire, and it entered a long period of decline. Different tribes governed until the French took over in 1893, a situation that lasted until it became part of the current Republic of Mali in 1960. Presently, Timbuktu is impoverished and suffers from desertification.

In its Golden Age, the town’s numerous Islamic scholars and extensive trading network made possible an important book trade: together with the campuses of the Sankore Madrasah, an Islamic university, this established Timbuktu as a scholarly centre in Africa. Several notable historic writers, such as Shabeni and Leo Africanus, have described Timbuktu. These stories fueled speculation in Europe, where the city’s reputation shifted from being extremely rich to being mysterious. This reputation overshadows the town itself in modern times, to the point where it is best known in Western culture as an expression for a distant or outlandish place.

The Official

New 7 Wonders of the World

Machu Picchu

15th-century Inca site in Peru

Chichén Itzá

Pyramid at Chichén Itzá, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Taj Mahal

A white marble mausoleum in Agra, India

Great Wall of China

series of fortifications built along the historical border of China

Petra

Arabian historical and archaeological city, Jordan

Colosseum

elliptical amphitheatre in Rome

Cristo Redentor

statue of Jesus in Río de Janeiro, Brazil

Worldmap

The 21 Finalists

Latest News

New7Wonders continues, find out how in our News Room

Bernard Weber Joins Global Visionaries in Authoring an Inspirational Book Launched at the United Nations

Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders was invited to contribute to a groundbreaking initiative, “Vision for the Future”, an e-book designed to capture and share inspiring success stories from leaders and changemakers around the world, featuring the personal narratives from 25 visionaries who are making a significant impact in their respective fields. Vision For The Future … Continued

Petra honours all the New 7 Wonders of the World on 7 Wonders Day

On July 7, the official 7 Wonders Day around the world, Petra celebrates and honours all the New 7 Wonders of the World, with a visual recreation, by people standing together, of a human number “7” next to the historical treasury site in Jordan. With this 7 symbol, as well as other events to celebrate … Continued

Symbolic giant human “7” created at Machu Picchu, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World

To mark the official 7 Wonders Day, celebrated on 7 July every year around the world, Machu Picchu organises the highest-ever altitude recreation of a giant human number “7”. With this striking visual, Machu Picchu honours the world’s first-ever global vote to elect the New 7 Wonders of the World, a campaign organised by the … Continued

Bernard Weber & New 7 Wonders featured in Switzerland’s number one magazine

Zürich, 10 October 2023 The number one magazine in Switzerland publishes a cover article honouring the New 7 Wonders movement Founder-President, Bernard Weber. Coop magazine, with a readership of 3 million in a nation of 9 million inhabitants, also tells the story about how the world’s first ever global voting campaign for the New 7 … Continued

New7Wonders Wonder Marker at the Great Wall celebrated across Chinese News Media

Beijing and Zurich, 10 July 2023 The official unveiling of the New7Wonders Wonder Marker on 7 Wonders Day 2023 at the Great Wall has been widely reported across mainstream and social mobile media throughout China, recognising and celebrating the importance of this historic moment. Video news reports, distributed through the main mobile news portals that … Continued

Wonderful Content loading...

Hello! Contact New 7 Wonders Close

Do you have any questions about the New7Wonders campaigns?
Are you writing an article, do you have a project in mind?
Maybe you have an idea using the New7Wonders concept?
Whatever it is, just say "Hello!" to us, and we will reply as soon as we can.

If you are from the press or a media organisation, or a social media reporter, please use this form to contact our Communications Department.

If you have an idea involving the New7Wonders concept, or maybe you want to associate New7Wonders with your product or brand, or any other commercial or business or new creative idea, please use this form to contact Jean-Paul de la Fuente, New7Wonders Head of Value Development.>