The University of Timbuktu

The University of Timbuktu,

Located in modern day Mali, the City of Timbuktu was the heart of the Mali and Songhai Empires.  At the center of the city was the University of Timbuktu, one of the oldest universities in world history, being found in the 12th century AD.  At its height the University of Timbuktu enrolled 25,000 students a year.  The university offered four different degrees; a Secondary Degree, Primary Degree, Superior Degree, and Circle of Knowledge.  Subjects offered included religion, philosophy, geography, business, astronomy, science, mathematics, and medicine.

Today the buildings that made up the University of Timbuktu serve as Mosques.  They still serve as a repository of thousands of ancient manuscripts and books.