According to reports by the Associated Press and others, Malian soldiers entered the city of Timbuktu on Monday as al-Qaeda-linked militants fled into the desert after having set fire to a library that held thousands of ancient manuscripts. Reportage’s Brent Stirton photographed these manuscripts in 2009. It is not known how many have been destroyed in the current conflict. The manuscripts date as far back as the 11th century and reflect the continent’s historical knowledge on Islam, medicine, science, law and technology. See more of Brent’s work from Timbuktu in his series, “Timbuktu Today.”
Caption: Manuscripts in a scholar’s home in Timbuktu on September 8, 2009. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images)
