TIMBUKTU, MALI - NOVEMBER 14 : Marrocain style biography manuscript of the profet Mahoma at the CEDRAB ( Centre de Documentation et Recherches Historiques Ahmed Baba ) on November 14, 2007 in Timbuktu, Mali . In the Middle Ages Timbuktu was the centre of the cultural world of black Africa, thanks to the merchants who came to the oasis and not just transporting goods but also manuscripts and books from across the Mediterranean and the Middle East that were copied and distributed.