By Sylvia Chebet
When myth, legend or hearsay subsumes reality, a cult of suspended disbelief is born.
Luckily for Timbuktu, the ancient Malian city that generations worldwide have grown up believing to be an imaginary name for any place too far away to reach, the gates to its historical riches have reopened to the world.
Timbuktu was an important trading post on the trans-Saharan caravan route and a centre of Islamic culture.
Its origins date back to the 11th century when Tuareg nomads started using the site as a trading post for gold, ivory and salt.
The city's proximity to the Niger river enabled it to grow into a commercial landmark of the Malian empire.
The story goes that on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, the Malian ruler Mansa Musa carried so much wealth that his visit led to gold prices crashing in Egypt and Arabia.
These economies didn't recover from the jolt until more than a decade later.
While tales of Timbuktu's fabulous wealth prompted European exploration of the west coast of Africa, the image of the quintessential mystery destination nobody had ever seen never went away.
For the first time in over a decade, a flock of tourists travelled to the fabled Malian city on the southern edge of the Sahara to be part of an enchanting festival in the desert from December 27 - 29, 2024.
Change in perceptions
"This is a new beginning," Mali's new minister for culture and tourism, Mamou Daffé, tells TRT Afrika of the world's renewed journey into Timbuktu.
The Festival Vivre Ensemble (French for "living together") attracted tourists from the US, Australia, Italy, India, Canada, and China, as well as visitors from over 20 countries on the African continent.
"Timbuktu hadn't hosted as many tourists since the second festival in the desert in 2012," says the minister.
So, why did the popular destination's tourist population thin out?
"When you look up Mali on the internet, most of the things you see are about war," explains Keba Daffe, tourism minister's personal assistant.
At the beginning of 2012, Tuareg rebels took control of Northern Mali.
The melodious drumbeats of the festivals that were an annual fixture of the country's cultural landscape soon drowned in the sound of gunfire.
The United Nations responded to the armed conflict in the region by adding Timbuktu to UNESCO's list of World Heritage in Danger.
Military officers at odds with the government's handling of the insurgency revolted in March 2012, resulting in the government of the then President, Amadou Toumani Touré, aka ATT, being overthrown.
The coup d'état opened up a power vacuum that violent extremist groups exploited. Malian armed forces, backed by the UN, have since fought to bring the situation under control despite two other coups.
"The military regime has put in a lot of effort to restore security in all regions of Mali," says Daffe.
Return to prominence
Twelve years later, Timbuktu's lost glory has been restored, and the city is deemed safe for tourists to return.
As the sounds of gunfire fade away, the drumbeats of the desert festival herald the return of peace and stability to the West African nation.
“I would like to thank the team of Festival Vivre Ensemble for this unforgettable experience," says the country's culture and tourism minister.
"The return of tourists to Mali is so important for us. It also reflects the determination of Mali's highest authority to make culture, tourism, and craft the pillars of its growth."
Joseph Molto, a Canadian Italian who attended the festival, is glad he decided to make the trip.
"It feels very secure here, and our tour guide knew the place well enough to give us the best possible experience," he says, vouching for Malian hospitality.
Festival Vivre Ensemble aims to remain an integral part of Mali's cultural ambassadorship in the future.
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