The Lost Manuscripts of Timbuktu

What was the most valuable treasure buried in the desert of Timbuktu?

• Silver

• Ancient books

• Diamonds

• Gold

In what year was the city of Timbuktu founded?

• 1200 CE

• 1100 CE

• 1000 CE

• 1300 CE

Which empire's decline led to the rise of the Songhai Empire?

• British Empire

• Roman Empire

• Mali Empire

• Ottoman Empire

Who marked the beginning of a golden age in Timbuktu?

• Sufi Jihadists

• Moroccan King

• Ahmed Baba

• Askia Mohammed Toure

What was the official language taught in schools after the French colonial forces seized control of Timbuktu?

• Arabic

• English

• French

• Spanish

What did some families do to protect the ancient books of Timbuktu during the French colonial rule?

• Built secret libraries

• Burned them

• Threw them in the desert

• Sold them

Who painstakingly retrieved hidden manuscripts from all over northern Mali and brought them back to Timbuktu?

• Moroccan King

• Abdel Kader Haidara

• Askia Mohammed Toure

• Ahmed Baba

In what year did civil war in Mali threaten the manuscripts, leading to their evacuation to nearby Bamako?

• 2020

• 2010

• 2012

• 2000

What do the ancient books of Timbuktu represent?

• Religious scriptures

• Fictional stories

• Pre-colonial history

• Modern history

What is at stake in the efforts to protect the ancient books of Timbuktu?

• The history they contain

• The city's wealth

• The city's rulers

• The city's monuments