Timbuktu has entered the English language as a synonym for a place as mysterious as it is remote. Located within the interior of Africa, it has garnered the reputation of being a distant backwater south of the Sahara Desert. However, at its height, it was the undisputed center of trade and knowledge in the Islamic World, thanks in great part to the university that was founded there. But when and why was the university founded and how did it, in turn, help develop and shape the city surrounding it? Tune in to today's episode to discover more!