TIMBUC'T00, TOMBOOCTO, or TimmikTu, a famous city of Sudan, occupies a position of the highest commercial importance on the great north-western bend of the Niger; lat. 17° 37' n., long. 3° 5' west. It stands only a few feet above the level of the Niger, and at a distance of about six m. from the principal branch of that river, is triangular in shape, is from 2+ to 3 m. in circumference, and at peesent without walls. though in former it covered a much greater area, and was defended by walls. It is laid out mostly in straight, but partly in winding streets of hard sand and gravel, and having a sort of gutter in the middle. There are three chief squares. There are about 980 clay houses —some low and unseemly, and others rising to two stories, and exhibiting considerable architectural adornment—and about 200 huts of matting, almost all in good repair. In the n. of the city is the mosque of Sinkore, an edifice of great grandeur, and which imparts an imposing character to the whole district in which it stands; and the other chief buildings are the "Great Mosque," an immense edifice of stately appearance, 286 ft. in length, by 212 ft. in width; and a few other mosques. The climate is not con sidered very healthy. Timbuctoo is not a manufacturing town, almost the whole life of the city being based upon foreign commerce, for which its situation renders it the most favored center. The quantity of corn raised here is much too small to supply local
consumption, and almost all the victuals used are imported by water-carriage from San sanding on the upper Niger. The only manufactures carried on are blacksmiths' work, and articles in leather, especially luggage-bags, cushions, tobacco-pouches, and gun-covers. Most of the clothing sold here is imported from Kano, Sansanding, and England. There are three great highways for foreign commerce to the city of Timbuctoo—down the river from the s.w., and by two roads from the n., from Morocco and Ghadames respec tively. Of this commerce, gold, which arrives at this place chiefly in the form of rings, is the staple; and the amount which the city exports is set down at about £20,000 yearly. Salt, and the kola-nut, which is used in place of coffee (see TEA), are also largelyimpor ted and re-exported, as are also tobacco and dates. Rice and corn are brought from Sansanding; English manufactures, consisting of red cloth, sashes, looking lasses, cut lery, and calico, arrive from the n. and north-west. The regular of Timbuctoo 13,000; with floating pop., during the months of the greatest traffic and intercourse from 18,000 to 23,000.
Timbuctoo was founded about the end of the 11th c., and first became known tci Europeans in 1373. Barth's Travels in Central Africa, 1858.