African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Tony. Thank you, Tony. We were able to purchase three new stainless steel pots to continue our cooking and teaching heritage.

Timbuktu Elite University in the Desert

Timbuktu Elite University in the Desert

Timbuktu is located close to the river Niger which soon became known as a place for business due to its location.


Timbuktu Elite University in the Desert

Founded by the Imagharen Tuareg, Timbuktu Mali was established in the 12th century, almost nine hundred years ago as a place where nomads could pasture and water their camels after traveling through the Sahara desert.
Tuaregs in Timbuktu, Mali


 Three important mosques were constructed in Timbuktu, Djingareyber, Sankore, and Sidi Yahia. The Djingareyber Mosque, the initial construction in 1327, the Sankore Mosque or The University of Sankoré date it was constructed is unknown, but probably in the 14th century, between 1325 and 1433, not long after the Djingareyber was constructed, and the Sidi Yahia Mosque, was built around 1400. The three mosques compose the famous University of Timbuktu.

Beginning in the 15th century Timbuktu established itself as an important educational, spiritual, cultural, and business hub. Timbuktu was famous for educating important scholars who were well known throughout the Islamic world. Timbuktu in the 16th century became the center of education in Africa characterized by the high level of education achieved by its students, clerics, and scholars. 
Djingareyber Mosque Timbuktu, Mali
by emilio labrador

The reign of Askia al-Hajj Muhammad, saw Timbuktu reach its political and intellectual height. Askia al-Hajj Muhammad better known as Askia the Great was a well-organized and shrewd administrator encouraging learning and literacy while fostering trade and commerce. 

 The eminent scholar Ahmed Baba produced many books on Islamic law during this time period. Mahmoud Kati published Tarik al-Fattah and Abdul-Rahman as-Sadi published Tarik as-Sudan two history books which are still widely used.

The Moroccan invasion in 1590 ended Timbuktu’s golden era of scholarship. Ahmed Baba was exiled with his entire family to Morocco, much of his extensive library was destroyed. Centuries of unrest and conflict continued. Timbuktu came under Fulani control, then occupied by the French in 1894. French rule lasted until independence in 1960.

Timbuktu Africa

Timbuktu Elite University in the Desert

Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital and a center for the propagation of Islam throughout Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Timbuktu is located at the gateway to the Sahara desert in Africa.

In 2012, in response to armed conflict in the region, Timbuktu was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in danger.

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
Learn More About Africa

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Learn More About Africa

Ethiopian Midwest American Hotdish

Image
Our Ethiopian hot dish combines Ethiopian cooking with classic Minnesota Midwest casserole meal. The hot dish’s origins are a product of settlers traditions in Midwest America dating back to the early 20th century. A hot-dish or casserole is a one-pan meal that traditionally includes a combination of starch like potatoes, pasta, or rice, ground meat, vegetables, and a creamy canned soup base, all topped with crunchy goodness like breadcrumbs or tater tots. The concept of hot dish became popular in the Upper Midwest, particularly in states like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, in the 1930s and 1940s. This period was marked by economic challenges, including the Great Depression. The need for economical and filling meals led to the creation of dishes that could be stretched to feed many people using simple, affordable ingredients . Hot dishes became synonymous with potlucks, church suppers, and social gatherings. These events were central to rural and small-town communities, where
Learn More About Africa

Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off

Image
Neck elongation rings how to put on and take off. Idzila are Ndebele wives traditionally wear rings around the neck as a status symbol and wear rings around the arms, legs, and neck. Wearing Neck Rings. For centuries, married South African Ndebele tribes’ women saw wearing heavy rings around their neck as an honored status symbol. Neck rings are any form of stiff necklaces worn around the neck of an individual. The neck rings are usually made of copper or brass. During initiation, girls wear an array of colorfully beaded hoops called izigolwan around their legs, arms, waist, and neck. After marriage, the Ndebele wife would wear copper and brass rings around her arms, legs, and neck, symbolizing her bond and faithfulness to her husband, once her home was built. Idzila rings were believed to have strong ritual powers. Husbands used to provide their wives with rings; the richer the husband, the more rings the wife would wear. These outward symbols can be removed only in ca
Learn More About Africa