Aidan Cannon

10-27

The City of Gold

In 1827, Rene Callie a Frenchman left home to go find Timbuktu. Smartly the Society of

Paris, ​which​ had offered ten thousand dollars to whoever found the city. To prepare for this

adventure he learned to speak arabic and he planned to ​impersonate​ an African. Most Africans

were muslims back then. Smartly Rena Callie​ joined​ a caravan and ​headed​ for the city. When

Rene reached the city it was not as ​glorious​ as he had hoped. As It was very ​gloomy​; just a few

huts on ​brightly​ colored yellow sands.

Was this largely ​extravagant ​wealth a myth? No! Rene Callie ​who​ had just come much

too late. During the 17-15 century it had been a powerful city. While three kingdoms it had

stayed, the kingdoms of Mali, Songhai, and Ghana, during the time of Mali, Timbukutu had

reached ​the height of its ​kingly​ power. Its ​mighty​ university Sankore had been a center of

learning. ​Sadly​ since during the 150 years of Moor occupation, it ​destructively ruined​ the city's

glory days.