​Tombouctou in danger: saving the pearl of the desert in the face of the challenges of the 21st century 

  The city of Tombouctou, situated in the north of Mali, faces important challenges threatening its exceptional architectural heritage. After the destruction caused by terrorist groups between 2012 and 2013, the legendary city must today fight against the encroachment, the effects of climate change and a galloping urbanization. These factors, according to experts, risk dealing a severe blow to its rich historical heritage. Its structures, built of sand and clay, are deteriorating under the effects of weather and environmental disturbances. This unique heritage, which recalls the role of Timbuktu as a major intellectual and spiritual centre of the 15th and 16th centuries, is in danger. Among the emblematic monuments of the city are the famous mosques Djingareyber, Sankoré et Sidi Yahia, vestiges of an epoque where Timbuktu was a foyer of propagation of Islam in Africa. But their fragility exposes them to constant threats. “The state of these buildings is alarming”, declares El Boukari Ben Essayouti, head of the cultural mission of Timbuktu.