Believed by many to be the ends of the earth, Timbuktu in Mali is an important city to Muslims across Africa.  It was the site of the first university in Africa crowded with Islamic scholars from all over the world learning the rare books, glorious Qurans and accomplished chronicles. Timbuktu still today has a unique manuscript heritage of world importance.

But Timbuktu is on the edge of northern Mali, a vast swathe of the Sahara desert where a lack of security has led to problems of internal conflict, international crime and terrorism.

To coincide with the twinning ceremony between Hay-on-Wye and Timbuktu, the British Ambassador Chris Trott travelled to Timbuktu.  He met senior Islamic scholars and leaders and representatives of the Tuareg community, to hear their views and concerns and to explain the UK’s position on issues around the world, our thinking behind them and what we are doing about them.

At the same time, the Ambassador hosted an exhibition, Islam in Britain, at the Conservatoire Ben Essayouti. This provided a unique opportunity for the imams and people of Timbuktu to learn about the UK’s Muslim traditions and see how British Muslims are living in the UK today.