Timbuktu’s centuries-old manuscripts, long celebrated as a symbol of Africa’s scholarly history, have finally returned home after 13 years abroad. These priceless documents, many of them handwritten in Arabic and local languages, had been evacuated during a period of conflict to protect them from destruction.

The manuscripts — covering subjects from science and medicine to poetry and law — were flown back to Timbuktu under tight security. Experts say the collection offers a rare window into the city’s golden age as a center of learning during the 15th and 16th centuries.

During Mali’s unrest in 2012, fears of looting and burning prompted cultural preservationists to secretly move thousands of these fragile works to safer locations. Since then, they’ve been kept under controlled conditions to prevent deterioration, awaiting the day they could be brought back.

Now, with improved preservation facilities in Timbuktu, the manuscripts will be stored in climate-controlled archives, ensuring their survival for generations to come. International organizations and local historians have worked together to create a space where researchers and visitors can engage with this remarkable heritage.

For the people of Timbuktu, the return of the manuscripts is more than just the recovery of old books — it’s the restoration of a living connection to their ancestors’ knowledge and cultural identity.

While the city still faces challenges in protecting its heritage, this homecoming marks a hopeful chapter in Mali’s ongoing efforts to safeguard its history.