One week after Islamic militants fled Timbuktu under French bombing strikes, preservationists are deeply uncertain about how to continue protecting the city’s priceless ancient documents — a conundrum ...

The previous essay showed that in the 1400s, Africa was not a “dark continent” but a continent of light — a leader in knowledge, trade, and culture. Cities like Timbuktu rivaled Oxford and Cambridge ...

Explores the historical significance of libraries and the role of librarians as custodians of knowledge. It reflects on the evolution of libraries from ancient times, highlighting key figures like ...

Beyond the reports of beatings, hand-choppings and other grim Shari’a punishments carried out in the ten months Islamists held the historic Malian city of Timbuktu, the fear that gripped many ...