Tap to explore
Located to the northeast of the city in a district of the same name, the mosque was built in the Mandingo period 1325–1433 by a wealthy woman who wanted to remain anonymous. Historically, the mosque has played an important role in the fame of Timbuktu.
Tap to explore
Key decisions were always made in front of the Sankore Mosque. It was there that delicate points of law in contentious inheritance cases, attitudes to be observed during weddings, circumcisions, funeral ceremonies in accordance with the tradition of the Prophet, as well as practical arrangements for the protection of the city, were all discussed.
Tap to explore
Between 1578 and 1582, Imam Elhadj Al-Aqib rebuilt the sanctuary, giving it the dimensions of the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam, located in Mecca. He had recorded the dimensions during his pilgrimage to the sacred sites in 1581.
Tap to explore
The mosque is built entirely from mudbrick and its architectural style is similar to that of Djinguereber. The interior consists of three columns delimiting the rows for praying during the winter and a courtyard for praying during the summer.
Tap to explore
A minaret around 15 meters high built in the same style as that of Djinguereber stands in the center. The northern part of the mosque served as classrooms for the University of Sankore, which, according to the author of the Tarikh al-fattash, a West African book of chronicles, had 25,000 students.
Tap to explore
Sand encroachment has posed a constant threat to this architectural gem. By 1952, sand had reached the height of the mosque, destroying the roof and internal walls. The mosque’s current imam tells us that the eastern façade was covered with limestone or “alhor” at that time.
Dr. Ali Ould Sidi, Technical Advisor at the Malian Ministry of Culture