MMM’s “Everything is Possible”

Today’s photographs of Timbuktu.  Arch of Timbuktu, modern buildings, shop and Coca-cola advertisement are the normal scene in Timbuktu  

Timbuktu or Tombouctou is a capital town of Tombouctou Region.  Timbuktu is the largest northern-most region of Mali, comprised mostly of the Southwestern section of the Sahara desert. The Timbuktu town is located at the southern edge of the Sahara, near the Niger River, which has headwaters in the highlands very near the Atlantic coast before its long 1500 mile journey to the northeast, before finally turning south to reach the Atlantic at Nigeria.

Signboard showing places of interest to visit in Timbuktu.  All are within walking distance

Some of the buildings of Songhai architectures in Timbuktu

The riches of the kingdom were due to Tombouctou’s position as the southern terminus of the trans-Sahara salt and gold trade route. It is home to the prestigious Sankore University and other madrassahs, and was an intellectual and spiritual capital and centre for the civilisation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Sankore, Djingery Ber built in 1327 and Sidi Yahya built in the 1441, still standing magnificent, recall Timbuktu’s golden age.  Muslim scholars in Timbuktu were known for their contribution to Islam and world civilization. By the fourteenth century, important books were written and copied in Timbuktu, establishing the city as the centre of a significant written tradition in Africa.  Ibn Battuta the well known muslim traveller also had visited Timbuktu in 1353.

 Plague commensurate the place and house visited by Ibn Battuta in 1353.  One of many private bibliotheque which still keeping the ancient manuscripts and street view of Timbuktu showing the influence of the Morrocan invasion

 Djingarey Ber Mosque

Some of the tombs of 333 saints 

Timbuktu is populated by Songhai, Touareg, Fulani, Bella, Moure and Mandé people, and is about 20 km north of the Niger River. It is also at the intersection of an east–west and a north–south Trans-Saharan trade route. Timbuktu was once the most important trading post in the Sahara, a meeting point for caravans of camels as they carried salt, ivory, slaves, gold and untold riches along the Saharan trade route. It was important historically and still as an entrepot for rock-salt from Taoudenni.  Timbuktu is listed since 1988 as UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.

 Sankoré Mosque

 Door and window of Songhai architecture

Songhai’s bowl for body cleaning.  They sit at centre of the bowl, the left bowl for women and at right for men.  Jewellery of Songhai and Touareg and ancient bracelet.  Exhibits of Timbuktu’s Municipal Museum

Timbuktu was established by the nomadic Touareg as early as the 10th century. According to a popular belief its name is made up of: tim which means “well” and buktu, the name of an old Malian woman known for her honesty and who once upon a time lived in the region to take in charge of the well. Touareg and other travelers would entrust this woman with any belongings for which they had no use on their return trip

The ‘well’ (tim), one of Songhai’s traditional music instruments.  Kalil Baber, the tour guide examines some of the scripts at Gordon Laing’s house. Kalil can be reached at kalil_baber@yahoo.fr or cellphone (+223) 6042123

Shy and not so shy of Timbuktu’s boys.  Danger sign on electricity pole that I have not seen in Bamako

Timbuktu was a important city in several successive empires: the Ghana Empire, the Mali Empire from 1324, and the Songhai Empire from 1468, the second occupations beginning when the empires overthrew Touareg leaders who had regained control. It reached its peak in the early 16th century, but the invasion by Sultan of Morocco in 1591 beginning of the crumbling of the ancient economy and centre of Islamic knowledge and civilisation.

Grand market of Timbuktu.  Businesses are more active outside compared than inside the market’s building

The salt slab.  Views of something interesting on the street

The most outstanding treasure at Timbuktu are over the 100,000 manuscripts kept by the descendants of the great Muslim scholars from the town. These manuscripts, some of them dated from pre-Islamic times and 12th century.  These manuscripts deal on law, medicine, astronomy, mathematic, sciences and history were written in Arabic and Bambara or Fulani.

Street view in Timbuktu.  Bella’s tents in town.  Bella used to works as slaves to Touareq until the French stop them but I saw Bella still works for Touareg.  Oven to bake Timbuktu’s bread ‘takoula’ that you see at every corner of Timbuktu

The carpenter at works.  Timbuktu’s street arts ‘The good, the bad and the ugly’

Handicrafts market and some of the activities held and items for sale.

An evening at Timbuktu.  View of Sahara Desert and football is the most popular sport.  The photograph showing women are playing football in Timbuktu

The rice bowl of Timbuktu at Korïoume and 6.00am in Timbuktu

Timbuktu is an interesting place to visit, but its reputation as ‘the end of the world’ still holds many mysteries.  In 2007 Timbuktu was one of 21 finalist candidates of new 7 wonders of the world.  Tombouctou cite des 333 saints.  Tombouctou la mystérieuse.

mamadou

Poisson deau - douce riz du gras (FCFA3,500/EUR5.35), Jus nectar de mangue (FCFA500/EUR0.76)

Dish: Fried fish and rice in coconut cream
Venue: Restaurant Patisserie AL BARKA
Location: Faladie, Bamako

mamadou

Aeroplane SAAB 340 and its interior thats flies Bamako-Timbuktu-Bamako

I wanted to go Timbuktu for so long.  First time I know about Timbuktu was in 1992 after reading one article in NST.  I think I still have this article kept in one of the boxes in the store room.

Now I am in Bamako, capital city of Mali.  Mali is land of Timbuktu.  Finally, I decided to go since I am so near to Timbuktu.  As I going alone, its better to take aeroplane to Timbuktu rather than travel on land by 4WD.  If travel by 4WD, it will take you 24 hours to reach Timbuktu, but if I stop overnight at Mopti for rest and sleep then it will take 2 days.  So I booked one return journey air ticket for CAM from Delta Voyages.  It cost about FCFA195,000 (EUR300).

Yirimadio, Bamako from the air.  The road and land near airport of Bamako Senou

The scheduled departure time is 7.15am, so I reached airport Bamako Senou at 5.30am, but the police did not allowed me to enter as the check-in counter, are yet to open.  Around half an hour later then the check-in counter open, I check-in as normal procedure, but one the officer there issued me the disembarkation card and he told me fill up and handed over to the immigration police.  I thought this domestic flight not necessary to fill the form but not only that the immigration police stamped ‘depart’ on my passport.

The farm and agriculture plots and a villa from the air 

I waited at the departure hall, with about another 20 passengers.  Until the specified time to depart, no sign of aeroplane on the tarmac as I look out to the parking apron.  Today the weather is not hot but rain drizzling.  Then 10 minutes later one CAM’s boeing aeroplane landed and taxing to the parking apron.  Oh no that too big for carrying 20 passengers to Timbuktu.  At this moment, rain went heavy for next 30 minutes. Actually that aeroplane mean for the President of the Republic for his official overseas trip as the red carpet laid and the parking apron suddenly surrounded by group of army        

Niger river and its delta around Segou

Last night I hardly sleep.  I worry that I cannot wake early, but with help of the alarm clock I woke up at 4.00am.  After shower solat Faj’r and simple breakfast, the time already almost 5.00pm.  Idrissa, the chauffeur and my friend, Coulibally actually woke up earlier than me, willing to send me to the airport.

View of villages in Mopti

Finally an announcement was made at 8.30am that the flight to Timbuktu delayed without mentioning the rescheduled time.  Around 9.20am I saw one small aeroplane landed.  Yes that CAM’s logo on it.  20 minutes later all the passengers to Timbuktu boarded the aeroplane.

View of the land near Airport of Mopti at Sevaré.  Landed in Mopti’s Hambodedjo Airport after 80 minutes flying from Bamako.  Stop for refuelling and some passengers end the journey and some get in here

Flight from Bamako to Mopti was not really smooth as the flight flown through the cloudy sky. The flight took a stop at Mopti as some passengers took down here and and new passengers come in from Mopti to Timbuktu.  The aeroplane also took time to re-fuelling.

The flight from Mopti to Timbuktu was very smooth as the weather here was dry.  After 45 minutes later at 1.10pm we landed at Timbuktu’s Airport.  Yes finally I landed in Timbuktu.  Timbuktu, here I come

Aerial view of land oin Timbuktu.  Landed in Timbuktu’s airport at 1.10pm after flying 45 minutes from Mopti

Actually there are three ways how to go to Timbuktu from Bamako:

Option 1 by land - You can come in a 12 to 24 hours trip by car or have a 4WD as some part of the road suitable for 4WD.

The aeroplane waiting at the tarmac and interior view of the Timbuktu’s Airport 

Option 2 by boat or pinasse - You can catch one of the many tourist pinasses from Mopti.  Cruise by pinasses along Niger River take 3 days and 2 nights to get.  During tourist season there will be plenty of people waiting to go so you can group together to hire one of the pinasses. At night you will be camping on the shore and there will likely be a cook on the boat, they even have ‘toilets’ at the back.

Option 3 by aeroplane -  There are several airlines company flying from Bamako to Timbuktu airport.  One of them is Compagnie Arrienne du Mali (CAM) flying to Timbuktu on every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and flying back to Bamako on every Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Au revoir Tombouctou. Je reviendrai.  AlHadi TOURE, sit proudly with his motorcycle.  He is the tour guide and can be contacted at alhadi_toure2003@yahoo.fr and cellphone (+223)6042176 

After 4 days in Timbuktu, I have to go back to Bamako.  Al hade Toure @ Chicago, my tour guide quite punctual and by 6.00am he already on my hotel’s door and he sent me to the airport with his motorcycle.  At first I little bit worry as past experience flying in Africa always encounter something unexpected. When I reached the Timbuktu I saw the aeroplane on the tarmac.  I feel relieve, if not the next flight is 3 days later.  Infact another passengers flying with another airline went back to the hotel as their aeroplane that suppossed to be landed yesterday did not arrived. I have flown back to Bamako at 7.45am 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled departure.

Tourism Office of Timbuktu provide free service of stamping on your passport to mark that you have visited Timbuktu.  Yes,  I was in Timbuktu.  Finally the aeroplane landed safely in Bamako-Senou ariport.

“For some people when you say Timbuktu it is like the ends of the world, but this is not true.  I am from Timbuktu and I can tell you we are right at the heart of the world” - Ali Farka TOURE, music legend of Mali (Ali Farka Touré 1994’s album ‘Talking Timbuktu’ in collaboration with Ry Cooder won Grammy Award and his 2005’s album ‘In the Heart of the Moon’ a collaboration with Toumani Diabaté won his second Grammy Award).

mamadou 

Point of No Return

Hari ini saya telah menjejaki suatu perjalanan yang amat simbolik.  Setiap langkah membawa diri saya semakin hampir ke tempat dimana wujudnya monumen yang destinasinya dulu amat menyayukan hati.  Jejak ini, saya jejaki dengan berjalan kaki, membawa diri merentasi 4 kilometer jalan duka yang kering dan berdebu.  Langkah ku merangkumi suatu rentetan yang dikenangi sebagai Jalan Hamba di Ouidah.

Lebih kurang 150 tahun yang lampau setelah tamatnya perniagaan jual-beli manusia untuk dijadikan seorang hamba, banyak perkara telah berlaku dan berubah di sepanjang jejak ini.  Lelaki dan wanita kelihatan berjalan bebas kesana kemari ketika matahari mula menyinar.  Anak-anak bermain bolasepak, permainan kegemaran ramai, diantara dinding-dinding rumah konkrit dan tampaknya pembinaan sebuah hospital baru sedang berjalan lancar.  Walau adanya kegiatan dan kehidupan baru dan moden disepanjang jejak ini dan kadang-kadang tampak sekumpulan pelancong yang berkenderaan kearah pesisir pantai menjadikan jejak ini gemuruh dan debu berterbangan memecah kesunyian yang tetap terasa.

Rakyat Benin memberikan daya usaha mereka untuk memulihara Jalan Hamba di Ouidah ini.  Jejak yang pernah dilalui oleh seorang hamba ke dunia baru yang mereka tiada diketahui apa dan dimana, dipulihara moga generasi hari ini dan akan datang dapat menyelami hakikat sejarah kelam masa lampau negara dan benua mereka.

Ketika hamba jadi barang dagangan, Ouidah menjadi salah satu tempat mengeksport para hamba dari benua Afrika.  Dagangan ini yang berasal dari Kerajaan Abomey telah menangkap dan membawa mereka lebih 100 kilometer ke selatan, ke pesisiran pantai Ouidah.  Mereka di bawa ke kapal-kapal besar saudagar  untuk ke dunia baru.  Untuk memperingati jejak jutaan bangsa Afrika, dan yang telah melalui perjalanan sedih tetapi maut memanggil mereka sebelum tiba ke destinasi, Pemerintah Benin telah menjadikan jejak dan simbol-simbol di sepanjang jalan sebagai suatu rakaman sejarah dan budaya negara.

Jejak ini sekarang bermula di bahagian selatan Bandar Ouidah yang tandai dengan papan tanda peringatan dan sebatang pohon sebagai tanda kerajaan Abomey silam di mana bermulanya perjalanan mereka.  Dari titik ini, jejak melalui pinggir bandar dan ditandai dengan dengan beberapa simbol maharaja-maharaja yang bersikap anti perdagangan hamba.   Disepanjang jalan ini ada beberapa tanda ditulis untuk memperingati sejarah ini.

Ada sebatang pohon dulunya dikelilingi oleh hamba-hamba yang diikat kaki dan ditutup matanya, agar jika terlepas mereka akan lupang jalan pulang.  Pohon ini dipanggil Pohon Kealpaan (Tree of Forgetting).  Pohon ini tiada lagi, kini diganti dengan symbol arca keluli. Dikatakan hamba-hamba lelaki dikehendaki mengelilingi pohon itu sebanyak 9 pusingan manakala hamba-hamba wanita pula sebanyak 7 pusingan.

Kira-kira di pertengahan jalan diantara Ouidah dan pantai, ada satu lagi ukiran arca yang mewakili La Case des Zomai.  Tempat ini merupakan satu perhentian penting dalam perjalanan hamba-hamba kerana dalam kamar gelap ini mereka dikurung dan diam tanpa bicara sehingga kapal untuk mengangkut mereka tiba.  Hamba yang menghasut yang lain supaya memberontak diikat, dikurung dan diseksa.  Kini ada arca simbolik dua tubuh hamba yang diseksa.

Kemudian terlihat ada Tembok Tangisan (Wall of Tears), tanda di mana hamba-hamba yang sakit atau dikira tidak berdaya untuk meneruskan pelayaran melepasi lautan ditanam hidup-hidup dalam satu pusara besar.  Mereka dikurung, diseksa disepanjang perjalanan. Inilah nasib mereka, lelaki dan wanita yang ditangkap dan didagang untuk dijadikan hamba.  Tembok Tangisan  memperingati jiwa manusia yang disia-siakan dan keseksaan mental terlampau yang dialami oleh hamba-hamba yang meneruskan pelayaran mereka ke dunia baru.  Mereka yang berjaya melayari ke dunia baru ini menyaksikan sengsara suami dan isteri, sahabat dan keluarga mereka yang akhirnya dinilai oleh para penangkap dan pedagang manusia sebagai insan yang tiada nilai.

Selepas Tembok Tangisan, jalan melalui denai pendek ke tempat akhir upacara yang dikenali sebagai Pohon Kembali (Tree of Return).  Disini tegaknya pohon asli yang digunakan untuk upacara ini.  Hamba-hamba yang akan berangkat akan mengelilingi pohon ini sebanyak tiga kali, dengan maksud jika mereka meninggal di dunia baru, roh mereka akan kembali ke tanah airnya.  Maharaja yang menangkap mereka ingin memastikan upacara ini sebagai cara melindungi mereka yang akan diperdagangkan.

Dari Pohon Kembali, jejak melalui lapangan terbuka ke Laut Atlantik.  Berjalan sepanjang jejak akhir ini, tidak dapat digambarkan apakah perasaan mereka yang diheret dengan kakinya dirantai, jauh dari kediaman dan keluarga.  Apakah yang akan terjadi kepada untung nasib mereka ditempat asing diseberang lautan, itu pun jika mereka berjaya sampai ke destinasinya.

Ketika berjalan ke pantai, saya tidak dapat membayangkan bagaimana apa yang mereka rasai 150 tahun yang lalu.  Walaupun saya tidak bersendirian, tiada kata yang boleh diungkapkan hanya kesunyian dan jika hari ini kesunyian terasa bagaimana pula suasana waktu lampau.

Beberapa detik sebelum tiba ke pantai, jalan menaik sebuah jambatan yang merentasi sebuah tasik, dimana anda terhidu bau udara lautan selayaknya seorang hamba mengambil langkah terakhir mereka diatas tanah tumpah darahnya.  Monumen akhir di Jejak seorang Hamba ini adalah Tempat Tak Kembali (Point of No Return).  Dibina gerbang besar yang terukir arca menggambarkan hamba-hamba yang akan berangkat.  Tempat Tak Kembali ini menandakan berakhirnya kehidupan mereka sebagai orang Afrika dan bermulanya kehidupan asing sebagai orang yang terbelenggu dengan budaya baru yang amat asing.  Jejak Seorang Hamba di Ouidah terukir sebagai peringatan masa lampau dan pengharapan kehdupan baru yang bermakna.

Inilah adalah perakuan suatu perlakuan dalam lipatan sejarah peradaban dan kemanusiaan dan tugu kekuatan dan keberanian manusia yang berjaya terus hidup, sungguhpun mereka telah menempuhi ranjau dan liku yang tidak pernah impi dan bayangkan dalam hidupnya.  Lokasi ini telah dijadikan dan diiktiraf oleh UNESCO sebagai salah satu lokasi sejarah.

Namun dalam termanggu saya menginsafi perdagangan hamba dari benua Afrika ini mungkin sudah berakhir.  Tetapi dalam kehidupan ini masih terlihat manusia diperdagangkan dalam kegiatan politik demi untuk memerangi keganasan apatah lagi dalam permasalahan dan kemelut ekonomi dan sosial .  Apakah keadilan manusiawi masih ada? 

mamadou.  

BBC reported recently, Chinese South Africans are to be reclassified as black people in order for ethnic chinese can benefit from government policies for ending white domination in private sectors

mamadou

Quick facts of Koulikoro

Koulikoro
Koulikoro is another town in Mali and the capital of the Koulikoro Region. Koulikoro is located on banks of the Niger River, 60 kilometres from Mali’s capital Bamako.

Road to Koulikoro town

The region of Koulikoro is divided into 7 Cercle; Banamba, Dioila, Kangaba, Kati, Kolokani, Koulikoro, Nara  and has a population of 1,955,917 inhabitants.

Sand mining activities in Niger river at Koulikoro

Koulikoro town with 118,686 populations is known have the biggest sand pit to cater for the development of Bamako city.  Factory for processing and producing cotton seed’s oil also located here. Other economic activities are in agriculture and livestock breeding.  Between August and November, at the end of the rainy season, the Niger River can be used to transport goods to Ségou, Mopti and Tombouctou.

Human activities at river side of Niger river

Another view of human activities at river side of Niger river

mamadou