Timbuktu's mayor said Islamists fleeing the town set fire to a library housing thousands of historic manuscripts. Officials say they do not yet know the extent of the damage.
Timbuktu's Historic Manuscripts and Mosques
![This March 16, 2004 photo shows an unidentified worker looking after some of the 20,000 preserved ancient Islamic manuscripts which rest in air-conditioned rooms at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, Mali.](https://gdb.voanews.com/32FF0A36-0E05-4198-9037-4C0AF8006CFD_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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This March 16, 2004 photo shows an unidentified worker looking after some of the 20,000 preserved ancient Islamic manuscripts which rest in air-conditioned rooms at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, Mali.
![This March 16, 2004 shows some of the 20,000 preserved ancient Islamic manuscripts which rest in air-conditioned rooms are displayed at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, Mali.](https://gdb.voanews.com/709A9DFD-9BC4-4315-8159-BD185A4F04FC_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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This March 16, 2004 shows some of the 20,000 preserved ancient Islamic manuscripts which rest in air-conditioned rooms are displayed at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, Mali.
![This March 16, 2004 shows Alhousseini Ould Alfadrou, 16, singing verses from crumbling ancient Islamic manuscripts in a mud-walled house in Timbuktu, Mali.](https://gdb.voanews.com/4C590FE2-F924-4CC4-9756-EB1A096FF9EA_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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This March 16, 2004 shows Alhousseini Ould Alfadrou, 16, singing verses from crumbling ancient Islamic manuscripts in a mud-walled house in Timbuktu, Mali.
![This May 1, 2012 photo shows men work near one of Timburktu's historic mud mosques.](https://gdb.voanews.com/B22148BB-CED3-4409-8114-E9F4B80C712D_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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This May 1, 2012 photo shows men work near one of Timburktu's historic mud mosques.