The Lost Libraries of Timbuktu was an enlightening documentary that shed significant light on Timbuktu’s medieval cultural history. It focused on the ancient writing tradition of preserving information in manuscripts by examining thousands of lost manuscripts and the conservation efforts behind their restoration and preservation. I found it incredibly interesting how millions of individuals together hid their own collections of manuscripts to safeguard their people’s history from becoming the spoils of war and colonization. Furthermore, it was staggering to hear that many of these families have been hiding their personal manuscript collections for centuries — through Moroccan invasion, regional power struggles and French colonization. These
