UNESCO - Timbuktu, Mali

Home of the prestigious Koranic Sankore University and other madrasas, Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a centre for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its three great mosques, Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, recall Timbuktu's golden age. Although continuously restored, these monuments are today under threat from desertification.

I have had this postcard on my blog since the early days, but what I did is I posted many different cards at one time...and then I started collecting Unesco WHS and I prefer posting them separately (though I was still too lazy to separate some..!) This is for sure one of my favourite cards, and I envy my friend so much for his journey to this mythical gateway to the Sahara desert..!

Bamako, Mali

After quite a treacherous journey thru Guinea the New Year's was celebrated in Mali :)

The capital Bamako has a population of over 1.8 million and is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa. Still, postcards were a bit difficult to find! They seem to love monuments and sculptures over there...Sent on 2nd of January, 2008. I immediately fell in love with this stamp showing a Fulani woman!