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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Baba Ahmed

Saved from militants, Timbuktu's famed manuscripts return home after 13 years in Mali's capital

Mali Timbuktu Manuscripts - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The Malian military government on Monday started returning home the historic manuscripts of Timbuktu, which were spirited out of their fabled northern city when it was occupied by al-Qaida-linked militants more than a decade ago.

Islamic radicals destroyed more than 4,000 manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century, after they seized Timbuktu in 2012, according to the findings of a United Nations expert mission. They also destroyed nine mausoleums and a mosque’s door — all but one of the buildings on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

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