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Ransacked in 2012 during the period of the invasion of the North of Mali, the mausoleums of Timbucktu (cultural treasure of Mali) will soon be rehabilited. According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, the works will begin in September 2014.
The North of Mali found its serenity back and the authorities of environment are planning the rehabilitation of the mausoleums destroyed in 2012 by the Islamists. « I should say that physically, most of the mausoleums are as they were at the time of the liberation (in January 2013). But in fact, two or three years ago, a big process of reconstruction is in progress« , declared El-Boukhari Ben Essayouti, leader of the cultural Mission of Timbuktu.
The reconstruction of more than 600 years of history of this village requires a preliminary documentary work. According to El-Boukhari Ben Essayouti, the consultations of the manuscripts of that time and meetings with elders are compulsory to repair the mausoleums in their initial state.
« With architects, archaeologists, we are doing a deep work » and « a planning was made to effectively start the works this September« , he clarified.
The project that got financing from Unesco, is an economic challenge for Mali because Timbuktu lives essentially on tourism and on craft (60 to 70 % of the population). The mausoleums of Timbuktu are registered on the Unesco World Heritage.
Original text by: Roger ADZAFO
