Timbuktu
Mali
- Safety rating
- 2.5/10
- Best time to visit
- Historically the cooler dry months from November to February were the only bearable window in the desert heat.
- Population
- 0.0M
Overview
A byword for the ends of the earth, this fabled Saharan city was once a glittering center of trade and Islamic scholarship at the desert's edge. Its ancient mud-brick mosques and priceless manuscripts endure despite the encroaching sand.
Top attractions
The UNESCO-listed Djinguereber, Sankoré and Sidi Yahya mosques and the historic libraries of ancient manuscripts.
Getting around
The compact sandy town was traditionally explored on foot or by 4x4 and camel into the surrounding desert.