"Islamist insurgents retreating from the ancient Saharan city of Timbuktu have set fire to a library containing thousands of priceless ancient manuscripts, some dating back to the 13th century, in what the town's mayor described as a "devastating blow" to world heritage."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/28/mali-timbuktu-library-ancient-manuscripts
Seydo Traoré, a researcher at the Ahmed Baba Institute, who fled Timbuktu last year shortly before the rebels arrived, said only a fraction of the manuscripts had been digitised. The fate of thousands of priceless manuscripts housed in the Ahmed Baba institute is unknown.
Philip
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Philip Hunter
Digital Library Grants and Projects Co-ordinator
Digital Library Section
Edinburgh University Library
George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9LJ
Tel +44 (0)131 651 3768
http://www.homepages.ed.ac.uk/phunter2/
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