June 24–September 3, 2003

Timbuktu, Mali, is the legendary city founded as a commercial center in West Africa nine hundred years ago. Dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the ancient manuscripts presented in this exhibition cover every aspect of human endeavor and are indicative of the high level of civilization attained by West Africans during the Middle Ages.

• Note on transliteration
• Global Gateway Collection: Islamic Manuscripts from Mali

Special thanks to James V. Kimsey for his support of this exhibition.