Talk:Timbuktu

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you spell Timbuktu like this Timbochu

Good article Timbuktu was one of the Geography and places good articles, but it has been removed from the list. There are suggestions below for improving the article to meet the good article criteria. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
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The picture here is broken. Rhymeless 04:15, 24 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Looks like it was deleted at some point. If so, no help for it, gotta upload new image. Stan 05:31, 24 Jun 2004 (UTC)


Contents

[edit] Meaning/Etymology

There are two contradictory phrases regarding the origin of the name:Its name is made up of: tin which means « place » and buktu, the name of an old Malian woman is the first. Then there is this one a few paragraphs later: The place name is said to come from a Tuareg woman named Buktu who dug a well in the area where the city stands today; hence "Timbuktu", which means "Buktu's well". Which one, if either, is it?

I would simply add... there is a fairly good article on Timbuktu in Natural History magazine (July 2007) which states the name Timbuktu is derived from "tin" + "Buktu," or the well of Buktu, although they do state this is part of the "founding myth" of Timbuktu. In several paragraphs the origin of the city's name is thoroughly explored, including several proposed alternatives which are not included in the Wikipedia article. See etymology —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.94.4.212 (talk) 08:56, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Holy City??

As far as my knowlegde of Islam goes, there are 3 holy cities namely: Makkah, Medinah and Jerusalem.

Where did other four cities come from? Which are those cities? Please Mention what sects you are referring to... Shia? Ahmadiaya? Ismaili?

Otherwise it's very misleading to people who are unaware of this fact. If it were not for this discussion page, I would have promptly erased "and one of the seven holy citys of Islam".

[edit] Name

What? This place is called Timbuktu! I have never, ever heard it called Tombouctou in English. Never. That is the French name. Chameleon 23:25, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)

  • I have some 1930s encyclopaedias that say or Tombouctou, but that's about it. Rhymeless 02:38, 16 Sep 2004 (UTC)

[edit] removed tidbits

I removed two comments from the bottom, including the one about Timbuktu being a metaphor for far-away places, since it says that in the introductory paragraph. - DavidWBrooks 19:20, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)

"The place name is said to come from a Tuareg woman named Buktu who dug a well in the area where the city stands today; hence "Timbuktu", which means "Buktu's well"." is contradictory to a previous statement that says Tin means place and tinbuktu ment "the place of Buktu" not that it meant butku's well —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.219.77.156 (talk) 15:03, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] removed blog links

I removed a couple of links to the same travel blog about a trip to Timbuktu. The Web is loaded with travel logs - a quick Google search finds a bunch about Timbuktu. We could fill up every geographic article with similar external links, until the article itself was swamped, so we need to be cautious. Wikipedia isn't a link farm, and this article already has an awful lot of external links. - DavidWBrooks 13:48, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Jews

According to The Jews of Timbuktu, in 1492 Mohamed Askia forced the Timbuktu Jews to convert to Islam, and Rabbi Mordechai Abi Serour came from Morocco in 1860 to be a trader in Timbuktu. --Error 00:20, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Pop Culture Reference

Would it be worthwhile to note that Timbuktu has become a common metaphor (at least in America) for a far-off or distant place, "From here to Timbuktu!" Or maybe the phrase isn't as common as I think. Rainman420 22:12, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Certainly. The article had such a reference in its early days, but it has been much altered. - DavidWBrooks 23:31, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
Agreed! I bet way more people come here searching for origin of the cultural reference than are interested in learning about the African people. --Elindstr (talk) 17:37, 7 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Geography

Since i had a hard time finding it on a satellite map: Google Earth puts the city at 16°46'31.15"N , 3° 0'29.75"W; the only source listed in Geographic coordinates (obtaining) to list it, The Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names, puts it at a less precise 16º49'00"N, 02º59'00"W . Atcack 20:09, 04 Jul 2006 (UTC)

Each of the English, French and German versions of the article give slightly differing coordinates. But since 1 minute corresponds only to less than 2 km [geographic coordinates], it does not seem to be important. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.152.254.164 (talk) 23:30, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Early Steel Iron Production

Most articles mention that early on there was substantial iron, steel productioni in Timbuktu as evidenced by large slag piles round about. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.195.75.17 (talk) 21:01, 3 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Misplaced text

It looks like the text "ey...school is kool" in the "Shabeni" subsection is misplaces. (218.228.195.44 04:28, 7 November 2006 (UTC))

[edit] Photos?

Can we find any photos without copyright problems?

There are some architectural gems in this city.Dogru144 06:22, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] nuon headquarters?

under attractions: "From 2008, NUON will set up their EDM headquarters in Timbuktu, to be headed by André Koelewijn.[citation needed]" - this needs links to NUON and EDM to remain 58.6.92.252 02:42, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sister cities

What's this "Liopolis" business?? My delete finger itches. Flapdragon 20:57, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Scholars

Scholars of Timbuktu

^I wonder what people think about creating a section exclusively designated for information about the various scholars, like Ahmed Baba, etc..? A fine example of this is the timbuktu foundation's page on them, above.Taharqa 19:46, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Nevermind, I just noticed that we already have that on the Sankore pageTaharqa 05:07, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] GA on hold

This article has been reviewed as part of Wikipedia:WikiProject Good articles/Project quality task force in an effort to ensure all listed Good articles continue to meet the Good article criteria. In reviewing the article, I have found there is an issue that needs to be addressed.

The article is heavily under-referenced; every statement that is challenged or likely to be challenged needs an inline citation. Examples include:

  • "Timbuktu was established by the nomadic Tuareg perhaps as early as the 10th century."
  • "Songhai grew powerful because of its control of local trade routes."
  • "Sankore, as it stands now, was built in 1581 AD"
  • "Timbuktu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed since 1988."

I will check back in no less than seven days. If progress is being made and issues are addressed, the article will remain listed as a Good article. Otherwise, it may be delisted (such a decision may be challenged through WP:GA/R). If improved after it has been delisted, it may be nominated at WP:GAC. Feel free to drop a message on my talk page if you have any questions. Regards, Epbr123 09:40, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

As no progress has been made, I'm afraid I've had to delist the article.Timbuktu is a really nice place to visit Epbr123 10:28, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What is ISU-EDM and why is it an Attraction?

Uneer "Atractions" is the entry: "From 2008, ISU-EDM will be implemented in Timbuktu by André Koelewijn" Is the general reader supposed to know what "ISU-EDM" is??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.115.9.254 (talk) 16:32, 10 June 2008 (UTC)