Return to Timbuktu

An experience that retraces the epic journeys of the great explorers of the past, heading towards the legendary city of Timbuktu, the gateway to the desert, the crossroads of nomadic caravans, the unreachable city of the 333 saints.

Until the end of the 19th century, Timbuktu still retained its mysterious reputation intact, making it one of the most mythical and unreachable cities in the Western collective imagination. Tales were told of ancient treasures and opulent golden kingdoms, but in reality its material grandeur had long since faded. What has remained intact to this day is its aura of mystery, immediately perceptible amongst the narrow, deserted alleyways and its marvellous ancient mosques, behind the centuries-old doorways concealing the interiors of the houses and beneath the cobalt-blue turbans that reveal only the gazes of the Tuareg, the mysterious ‘blue men’.

To understand Mali’s fascinating culture and its colourful mosaic of traditions and peoples, one must trace its deepest roots, which lie in the green hills of the Pays Manding, a land steeped in history and ancestral spirituality. But also by immersing oneself in the chaotic modernity of Bamako, with its cultural ferment, its contradictions and its ‘imaginative’ urban decadence. Two sides of the same coin.

A journey into Mali’s ancestral culture, amidst divination by throwing cowrie shells, propitiatory dances of the valiant Bambara hunters, and ancient legends sung by the griots. Historic sites where Soundjata Keita and General Kamandjan Camara, in the Middle Ages, proclaimed Africa’s first charter of human rights and performed their heroic deeds, amidst sacred caves and miraculous rock arches. Enchanting landscapes and waterfalls hidden amongst the crevices of the rock, valleys of mango trees and wild plants with healing powers, small mud villages where it is said that the inhabitants still possess the occult power to transform themselves into lions.

But also a visit to Bamako, with its incredible cultural attractions, from the National Museum, which houses priceless artefacts from the Djene-Jeno site and votive figurines from the Tellem period, to the bustling Grand Marché, where you can lose yourself for hours; from the picturesque fetish market, amidst bones, animal skins and good-luck charms of all kinds (gris-gris), to the recycling market, amidst an acoustic horror vacui, which breathes new life into recycled metals; or even an encounter with the puppeteer and artist Yaya Coulibaly, who houses Mali’s largest collection of puppets and passes on this ancient theatrical, sculptural and therapeutic art form around the world.

What’s more, as part of this special launch, we will be taking part in the Bamako African Photography Biennale, now in its 15th year, featuring exhibitions and openings by some of Africa’s leading photographers.