333 saints of Timbuktu
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Are there really 333? Why that number exactly? Who are
they? These are not easy questions to answer. In fact many
of the answers surrounding these saints are unknown, lost
in history. I have been assured that there really are 333,
but why that number and no more nor less? Others say that
in fact there are many more; 333 is a symbolic number and
represents the greatest of the saints. For every great
saint there are several lesser ones now completely
forgotten or unknown.
What made someone a saint? Exceptional wisdom, kindness,
scholarship, and generosity. Many of the great scholars and
ilimams have been named saints, but not all. There are many
non-saints that are still remembered and respected as great
ilimams or scholars. One thing that distinguishes saints
from other great men is the performance of miracles.
Shindouk and some others of the most learned men in
Timbuktu have been able to tell me where many of the 333
are buried, and can list a fair number of their names and
stories, but not all.
40:
Diamune Hanane Cemetery just north of the petit marche.
40: Unenclosed cemetery to the NE of town past the Sidi
Mohamed Cemetery, near the Orange cell tower.
42: 40 plus a set of twins who were given sainthood when
killed by falling material during the construction of the
mosque: Djingere Ber mosque.
3 : Cemetery of Three Saints on the SW corner of town
behind the military camp : Cheikh Sidi Ahmed Ben Amar and 2
others
2 : Sidi Mohamed Cemetery NE corner of Abaradiou quartier:
Sidi Mohamed and Moulaye Arby
2 : Boucou and one other are buried in the cemetery
carrying his name
1 : Sankore mosque In fact an unknown number of saints are
said to be buried here; only one is known.
1 : Sidi Yaha is buried in his mosque, also an unknown
number of other saints.
1 : Sidi el Wafie is in the cemetery carrying his name
1 : Alfa Moya is in his cemetery
1 : Between the homes of Rene Caillié and Gordon Lang
1 : In front of the home of Gordon Lang
1 : Between Henrich Barth’s house and the Sidi Yahya
mosque: Mahamad Baragha
1 : Between the Carpenters after Henrich Barth and the
Tidjania Aferu Ber Mosque
1 : In front of the Direction Régional de Jeunesse near the
post office
1 : The shadow of the old water tower.
1 : Behind the east wall of the Palais du Justice
1 : In the Military Camp
1 : On the road between the entry to town and the airport
road
4 : In Kabara, Timbuktu’s former port town.
Here are the stories of a few of the prominent
ones:
Abu
Alkassim Attouatti (Abou-'l Qâsem
et-Touati)
Abu
al-Kassin at-Toutti was an Imam of the grand Mosque
Djingere Ber, only a small path separated his home from the
mosque. He was the one who instituted the celebration of
Maouloud (the birth of the Prophet Mohamed) in Timbuktu. He
was a great mystic and concecrated his life to the faith
and the creation of pious acts: complete reading of the
koran on Fridays, creation of a cemetary arount the mosque.
He is most famous for always having dates and bread in his
pockets which he distributed to koranic students. No mater
the time of day or the amount he already gave he would
still have some to give to the next person. And the bread
was alway hot and fresh. Another well known event is that
one day when he went to the mosque to pray and at the end
of the prayor his boubou was all wet. His compangions asked
him how he managed to get so wet while praying. He
explained that a priogue had capsized in lake Debo and one
of the drownding men called out to be saved in the name of
God and his saints. God sent him to save the men. He died
in 1528-29 (935 islamic year) at the age of 33. Sidi
Mahmoud presided over his burial in the new cemetary. His
tomb is located 100m to the west of town.
Ahmed Baba Ed-Doudani
Son of Alhadji Ahmadou, Ahmad Baba's tomb lies between that
of his father and the mauselium of his uncle Sidi Mahoud. A
veritable well of science, Ahmed Baba is one of the most
well known and greatest scholars of Timbuktu and left a
colossal and varried work behind him. His works include
comentaries on the "kalil" and on the hadiths, praises of
the Prophet, books of history, and much more. Like his
uncle Ahmed Baba is credited with many spectacular
miricles. On famous one took place during his detention in
Marrakech. During the course of a discussion between
himself and some learned Marrocans, Ahmed Baba caused a
book from Timbuktu to appear at the moment he needed it. It
was a book that gave the definitve verdict that was to
resolve their disagreement. His adversaries saw a woman's
hand appear and offer the desired volume. Ahmed Baba died
in 1631 (1035) at the age of 73 years shortly after being
liberated to return to Timbuktu.
Alfa Moya Lamtouni
A great Saint and great philosipher Alfa Moya had many
diciples. He was assainated along with ten other saints in
1605 (1010) by spanish troupes of the Jaouder who came from
Andolousie. He was 55 when he died. His tomb is located
east of town.
Alhadi Ahmadou
Al-hadji Ahmadu was a jurisconsultant. Some sources would
have him be the german cousin of Sidi Mahmoud. The Tarikh
es-Soudan names him as brother to both Sidi Mahmoud and
another jurisconsultant Abdallah. It states that "Ahmed was
a saint, Mohammed was a saint, Abdallah was a saint" and
gives his liniages as Al-hadji Ahmed ben Oumar ben
Mohammed-Aquit ben Oumar ben Ali ben Yahia ben Godala and
states that he was burried about 100m from the mosaleum of
this last.
Amar Ben Mahammed Aquit
The Father of Sidi Mahoud, was also a great Saint. He died
in Oualata where he emigrated to escape persectution by
Sonni Ali-Ber. The Tarikh al Fettach as well as the Tarikh
es-Soudan describe his deboirs with the Touregs and with
Sonni Ali-Ber and the consecences of his flight, frightened
by the Songai King's reputation, to Oualata at the time of
timbuktu's conquest, even though it was Amar himself who
had called him for help.
Cheikh Sidi El Mokhtar Ben Sidi Mohammed
Other wise known as Sidi Kiyar, he was a great saint of
Timbuktu and great Philosopher. He knew Henrich Barth
during his passage through Timbuktu. He died at age 80
around 1853.
Djamane
Hana
is an ancient mosque whose construction dates to 1542-43.
There are forty sants burried here. It is found to the
North of the Petit Marche. One side abuts the paved road.
El
Imam Ismail
Originally from Djenne, Ismail came to Timbuktu to take a
rest and visit the town. Unfortunatelly he never arrived.
He died three kilometers from town. When there is a serious
drought in Timbuktu all the imams, mezuens, learned men and
other great personages gather toeghter to pray to God for
water. They go to each mosque and the tombs of the saints
and finish by going to Ismail's tomb 3km from town. When
they finish the prayer here rain invariable follows. There
are living today people who have assisted at this cerimony
who swear to its authenticity.
Mohammed
Aquit
Mohammed Aquit was the grandfather of the famous Sidi
Mahmoud. He lived in Macina. After a misunderstanding with
the Peuls of Macina in a question of mariage, he moved to
Oualata. He wanted to establish himself in Timbuktu but it
was under the reigne of cheif Tengueredjef Akil, his enemy.
He did not dare enter the city so he installed himself
between Birou and Raz el-ma. His friend the grandfather of
Masira-Anda Oumar, the jurisconsultant negociated with the
Tuareg cheif Akil so that he and his large family could
move to Timbuktu. He is burried about 100 m to the north of
Sidi Mahmoud's tomb.
Mohammed el-Micki
Sidi Mohammed el-Micki was very pious and could easily go
three days neither eating nor drinking. He died at the age
of 80 in the year 1844. His tombis about 30 m to the south
of the Abu-Kassin.
Sidi Yahya
Djingere Ber was, for a long time, the only mosque in
Timbuktu. When Sankore was first built it was not a mosque
but a centre of learning, a university. So all the great
scholars had to leave the university, cross the river,
which at the time cut through the area in order to go pray
at Djingere Ber. One man had a dream in which the prophet
appeared to him and told him to construct a second mosque
halfway between the Mosque and the University.
As in Muslim tradition anything that comes via the prophet
Mohamed in a vision or dream etc. is considered to be from
God Himself, and should be heeded. So they constructed the
mosque. The question remained who would serve as Imam? The
most learned among them said well, if this is truly the
design of God, the Imam will come without our interference.
So they shut the mosque and locked it.
A few months later a man from Oualata, in Mauritania,
showed up in front of the Mosque and asked for the keys.
The neighbours to the mosque gave him the key and he opened
the mosque and went in. He said his prayers and sat and
began reading the Koran. Sidi Yahya, the imam, had arrived.
He since performed many miracles:
Sidi
Mahmoud Ben Amar Ben Mahammad
According to tradition the Cadi Sidi Mahmoud belonged to a
Berber tribe of the Godala. His ancesters moved to Timbuktu
after living in Macina and then Oualata. He was born in
1463 or 1464 and was named Cadi in 1498 or 99 and he died
in 1548. Sidi Mahmoud was Ahmed Baba's great uncle. The
Tarikh (histories) of Timbuktu attributed him with numerous
ledgends. His tomb is a place of pilgramage and his
decendants count many scolars.
Muhamed Baghyogo
He was Ahmed Baba’s instructor, most famous for the
following legend: when Ahmed Baba was in exile in Morocco
he ended up teaching and advising many people there.
Someone made reference to his being the most knowledgeable
person and in his modesty he declined the honours saying it
went instead to his teacher. When asked the name of this
erudite he gave it. According to legend Muhamed Baghyogo in
Timbuktu sat up in his yard where he was surrounded by
young scholars and said Ahmed Baba sold me to the
Moroccans. They will come here to seek me but will never
find me. Sure enough the Moroccans did come seeking him
out, but the day they entered town by the north Muhamed
Baghyogo was leaving it by the south. He was on his way to
his funeral, so the Moroccans never did find him. He is
buried today ...
Sane
Haji
This is the first saint venerated in Timbuktu. He was born
in Timbutku in 868 of the Hegire (1490). He had four sons
who were well educated and wrote several books. It is said
of Sidi Mohammed that at the burial of his brother al-Hadji
Ahmadou, he remaind prostrate during the presentation of
condolences. When he regained control of his faculties he
excused his mutness explaining that he was following the
soul of his cousin all the way till he was delivered to the
angels. He died in 956 and was burried about 150m north of
town.
Sidi Ahmed ben Raggadi
Sidi Ahmed was a great philosopher. He had numerous
deciples who were very well educated. He died in 1718 at
the age of 85. His tomb is 100 m west of town.
Mohammed Tamba-Tamba
Mohammed was a member of the tribe of Kel-es-Souk who lived
north of Gao. He came to Timbuktu to perfect his knowlegde.
He died in the year 1210 of the hegire (1832) and was
burried to the south west of town on the Route to Kabara.
His tomb is now within the boundries of the fort
Sidi-el-Beckaye.
Al-Imam
Said
The Cheikh al Imam Said was a native of Timbuktu. He died
in 1260 (1882) at the age of 70. He tomb is next to the
Pharmacie Populaire.
Sidi
Mohammed Boukou
Boukou lived at the beginning of the 16th century. He was
part of the tribe Id Ouali of Chinguiti (in Mauritania). He
has relatives in Touat to this day. He is burried to the
east of town.
Sidi
el-Wafi el-Araouani
Sidi el-Wafi lived in the 17th century. He came to
Timbuctou with two goals. To take a retreat and to improve
his knowledge. He died in 1121 (1743). His tomb is found
about 25m to the east of town.
Mohammed
Sankare
He came to Timbuctu to study. He died at the beginning of
the 17th century at the age of 60. His tomb is at the east
of town.