Day 3: University of Timbuktu

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Today I am visiting a potential madrasah for my children, Sankore. It is a division of the University of Timbuktu, a world class educational institution. In the University of Timbuktu, scholars primarily focus on the teachings of Islam, and studying the teaching of the Quran and Islamic law. Books began being written and copied in Timbuktu, with unique markings specific to the area. However, many scholars would often import manuscripts from other parts of the nearby Islamic world. The combination of all of the libraries here in Timbuktu would likely total around 700,000 manuscripts. Though scholars at the University of Timbuktu studied Islamic texts, they would often create books on a wide variety of subjects, which is what makes our city so special. We were centuries ahead of any other civilization in terms of education. It seems like a wonderful place for my son and daughter to go.

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