But Timbuktu’s fortunes changed. Around 400 years ago, European merchant ships began trading along the West African coast, and the old cross-Saharan trade routes lost their importance. Timbuktu went into decline, having lost the source of its wealth. It became known as a sort of ‘lost city’.

Nevertheless, Timbuktu is very much alive today. Around 40,000 people live there, the 150 Koranic schools attract many students, and the ancient salt trade, which made Timbuktu so wealthy, is still very important. There’s also a major conservation project under way to restore Timbuktu’s historic buildings and make the city a tourist destination.

January 2000 saw the city host Mali’s millennium celebrations.