How the Political Security Situation Affected Tourism in Timbuktu
Timbuktu is the mysterious of northern Mali, a mystical city of 333 holy saints of Sufi Islam. Most of people have heard of Timbuktu, yet to this day few can actually place it on a map. Timbuktu is one of the northern most remote cities in Mali, sitting on the edge of the Sahara desert. Some people have called it a city of gold because for centuries Timbuktu has been an important stop for the trans-Saharan caravans that often carried gold to markets north of the Sahara, in Europe. Gold was bought, sold, and packaged here for final transport over the desert in those caravans. The city has also been for centuries an important center for the study of Islam. Timbuktu attracted explorers from all over the world, from Ibn Battuta of Morocco in the 14th century to René Caillié of France in the 19th century.
Timbuktu’s spiritual reputation and isolated location continue to entice travelers keen to explore the Sahara and visit one of Africa’s largest centers of Islamic learning. As a result of this history, this West African city—long synonymous with being a city at the uttermost end of the Earth—was added to the United Nations World Heritage List in 1988, many centuries after its apex.
Timbuktu is the mysterious of northern Mali, a mystical city of 333 holy saints of Sufi Islam. Most of people have heard of Timbuktu, yet to this day few can actually place it on a map. Timbuktu is one of the northern most remote cities in Mali, sitting on the edge of the Sahara desert. Some people have called it a city of gold because for centuries Timbuktu has been an important stop for the trans-Saharan caravans that often carried gold to markets north of the Sahara, in Europe. Gold was bought, sold, and packaged here for final transport over the desert in those caravans. The city has also been for centuries an important center for the study of Islam. Timbuktu attracted explorers from all over the world, from Ibn Battuta of Morocco in the 14th century to René Caillié of France in the 19th century.
Timbuktu’s spiritual reputation and isolated location continue to entice travelers keen to explore the Sahara and visit one of Africa’s largest centers of Islamic learning. As a result of this history, this West African city—long synonymous with being a city at the uttermost end of the Earth—was added to the United Nations World Heritage List in 1988, many centuries after its apex.
For centuries Timbuktu has been peaceful haven of peace for western visitors. Known as the black pearl of the Sahara, some people called it the end of the world. It is true that Timbuktu s landlocked in a desert region and it is a poor city, but it’s a power house when it comes to art, architecture, and literature. Its manuscript archives have been a major attraction for scholars all over the world because those manuscripts tell the rich story of West African history for the past thousand years. Tourism was one of the most profitable industries in Timbuktu, as well as a source of revenue for the craft industry. Tourism has helped support generations of Tuareg, Fulani, Bambara, Dogon, and Songhai families.
Timbuktu is a gateway for travelers to the Sahara. Its music festival, founded in 2001 and known as the Festival au Desert, was a major attraction, bringing musicians from around the world, including Bono, the lead singer of the rock band U2.
Thousands of tourists visited Timbuktu each year to celebrate Mali’s rich music and cultural traditions. The last Festival au Desert was held in 2011, weeks before the war broke out. I refer to that event as the last song in the desert before the war.
Before the war, According to Mali’s Ministry of Tourism, the country had more than 100,000 international tourists visiting every year before war broke out in 2012. Now it has gone down to around 10,000. The economic importance of tourism in the region of Timbuktu is highly perceived in economic development around the region of Timbuktu. The tourist economy helped support the families of Tuareg camel master, tour operators, guides, the translators of Timbuktu, to the black smiths and the iron craftsmen who for centuries armed the warriors of many tribes. Tourism helped cast a fresh light on the ancient culture and architecture of Timbuktu. But that light has dimmed, not just in Timbuktu but in countries all across West Africa that is now feeling the effects of the conflicts in the Sahel.
In order to understand the situation of the lack of tourist in Mali, the Timbuktu: Land of Peace and Culture crew had the privilege to interview the manager of the prominent Hotel La Colombe of Timbuktu, Mr. Sormoye Mahamane.
Q: How has the political security situation affected your hotel since 2012?
A: Tourism is an important part of the economy in Timbuktu. Our main partners are travel agencies which bring us tourists’ every year but that’s not happening now. Even our restaurant, bar, swimming pool are also closed. Today our main problem is to manage the expenses of the hotel and also pay the wages of employees.
Q : Can you explain us how your hotel work before the current crisis and the occupation of Timbuktu in 2012?
A: Well, at this time our hotel was one of the most attractive hotels in the city and we were working with numerous travel agencies around the world. Before the crisis, if people did not book ahead of time, it was hard to find a room in Timbuktu. Even some of the restaurants had to be reserved ahead of time. But now there are no customers, there are no tourists in the city at all. Tourism and hotel activities of Timbuktu are dead. We only hope that this situation will change one day.
Q: What future do you see for tourism?
A: My vision is that when peace returns to the Sahara desert, tourism will help change the course of the future. And authorities must remove us from the red line zone (a zone north of which the government recommends tourists do not visit). If we stay only in the red line zone, nothing will change.
Q: What is your last word?
A: My last word is that we must find solutions to solve this conflict so that the local population will work together with dignity. Without peace there is nothing. Peace is our only hope for the future of tomorrow.
Tourism helps the region of Timbuktu and the nomad villages in the remote north, which is landlocked, arid, and poor. This desert region is a place where children have few opportunities to attend a formal school. But thanks to the will of lovers of Timbuktu today some nomad villages are lucky to have new schools built in their communities. The Caravan to Class initiative has helped raise money for school construction. The tourism industry can help bring real change in the life of local communities particularly for children.
In order to understand more about the impact of tourism we interviewed Mr. Barry Hoffner, Co-Founder of the Caravan to Class Initiative.
Caravan to Class is a registered 501c3 which seeks to bring education to villages around Timbuktu and the Southern Sahara, one village at a time, by engaging diverse communities of supporters.
Q: Can you explain your experience in Timbuktu as a tourist? A: It was a childhood dream for me to travel to Timbuktu–a fabled place that really gave me a sense of inspiration and adventure.
Q: What was the goal of your visit? A: My focus was first to be able to travel in Mali, down the Niger River for three days from Mopti to Timbuktu. I was not just excited to get to Timbuktu but to enjoy the journey there. The main focus was to attend the Festival au Desert in 2010.
Q : Explain what motivates you to bring literacy to Timbuktu by building schools nomad villages around Timbuktu.?
A: The trip was amazing and inspiring, with hospitable interesting and friendly people with such a strong sense of community and culture. Having traveled to more than 100 countries in my life, I can easily say that traveling to Mali was one of my best experiences. While in Timbuktu for the festival, I took a camel ride one day to the village of Tedeini. I witnessed the children learning in makeshift tent-classrooms. Speaking with the head of the village and his wife in a very warm and open manner, I asked them what his village needed most and his answer was “a school.” Going back to sleep in Timbuktu that night, I promised myself that I would find a way to build them a school to celebrate my upcoming 50th birthday. We started the Tedeini school project in mid-2010 and I returned to Timbuktu to see the school completed towards the end of 2010.
Q : How many schools did you build in Timbuktu.? A: Since then, Caravan to Class has built nine schools and we are currently working on our tenth school project in the village of Bantam.
Q: What future do you see for the children of Timbuktu?
A : It is hard for me to honestly answer the question of what kind of future I see for children in Timbuktu There are so many variables, first among them are a) the security situation and b) the commitment of the Malian and foreign governments to place greater prioritization on development in the North.My first English school was on the winding streets of Timbuktu. At that school I had my daily interactions with international visitors. Today it makes me really sad to see these important historical sites without visitors.The security crisis deeply affected the lives of local tour guides of Timbuktu. Most of them growing up in the winding streets of Timbuktu. They guided tourists around the city, helped them understand the history of the city and even barter for goods in market places. But today they find themselves without any job opportunities.In order to understand the life condition of tour guides of Timbuktu we interviewed a former tour guide, Mr. Alhadi Toure, whose nickname as a tour guide was “CHICAGO.” He is now an antique-dealer to survive in this crisis.Q: Explain us how the political security crisis affected the tour guides of Timbuktu?A: This crisis killed our industry due to the kidnapping of westerners and attacks and the civil war. Due to the crisis I was obliged to change jobs and am now an antique-dealer in order to survive in this crisis.
Q: What future do you see for tourism in Timbuktu? A: For me there is no future without peace. We must solve this conflict forever.
I have a deep passion to write about the tourism industry of Timbuktu because my own story is connected to this industry. I learned my first English word in the winding streets of Timbuktu by following tourists, learning their languages, and offering my services as a guide. I spent my youth traveling around Mali as translator and trip planner for travel agencies. My ambition has been to tell the story of the cultural heritage of my country for foreign visitors.
Editor: Peter Chilson Copyright 2016 Timbuktu Land of Peace and Culture. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the writer's consent.
