Myth of foreign origin or domination of Mali culture - Also Myth of Arabs bringing Mali architecture

To show the spread of ideas as going in both directions

"Timbuctoo the mysterious" By Félix Dubois

http://books.google.com/books?id=OYELAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA285

"The scholars of Timbuctoo yielded in nothing to the saints and their miracles. During their sojourns in the foreign universities of Fez, Tunis, and Cairo, ' they astounded the most learned men of Islam by their erudition.' That these negroes were on a level with the Arabian savants is proved by the fact that they were installed as professors in Morocco and Egypt. In contrast to this we find that the Arabs were not always equal to the requirements of Sankore. ' A celebrated jurist of Hedjaz (Arabia), arriving in Timbuctoo with the intention of teaching, found the town full of Sudanese scholars. Observing them to be his superiors in knowledge, he withdrew to Fez, where he succeeded in obtaining employment.'"

Added:

This article discusses the myth of an introduction of architecture to Mali from outsiders "Al-Sahili : the historian's myth of architectural technology transfer from North Africa" by Suzan B. Aradeon

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/jafr_0399-0346_1989_nu...

Read this translation of Ibn Khaldun "The Negroland of the Arabs examined and explained" page 61-65. Ibn Khaldun NEVER said architecture in west Africa was introduced by outsiders. He also makes it clear this part of Africa already had great cities and WAS NOT developed because of Arab involvement.

Page 64 in this book you see Ibn Khaldun said "showed a model for an edifice" other translations that say introduce architecture are wrong

On page 61 Ibn Khaldun starts out:

" When the conquest of the West (by the Arabs) was completed, and merchants began to penetrate into the interior, they saw no nation of the Blacks so mighty as Ghanah, the dominions of which extended westward as far as the Ocean. The King's court was kept in the city of Ghanah, which, according to the author of the Book of Roger (El Idrisi), and the author of the Book of Roads and Realms (El Bekri), is divided into two parts, standing on both banks of the Nile, and ranks among the largest and most populous cities of the world."

http://books.google.com/books?id=380NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA61

Video is from "Paradise Found - Islamic Architecture from Timbuktu to Asia" by Waldemar Januszczak

The mosque of Djene goes in well as an example African art, the community together working with mud looks like fun

Can see the whole video link bellow:

http://www.videosift.com/video/Paradise-Found-Islamic-Architecture-from-Timbu...

About what the narrator said regarding the age of Djene, I feel obliged to point out Kerma is thousands of years older

Category:

Education

Tags:

• mosque
• black
• Muslim
• peace
• tolerance
• west
• Africa
• Sahara
• architecture
• building
• mud
• brick
• baked
• community
• working
• together
• social

[markellion]

This is to show the idea of a superior colonial Arab culture supplanting African ones probably has more basis in stereotypes than fact and evidence

[markellion]

Added to descriptions box

"A celebrated jurist of Hedjaz (Arabia), arriving in Timbuctoo with the intention of teaching, found the town full of Sudanese scholars. Observing them to be his superiors in knowledge, he withdrew to Fez, where he succeeded in obtaining employment."

[markellion]

Also some translations of Ibn Khaldun have him saying that architecture was first introduced by outsiders but those translations are flawed

[markellion]

There was of course diffusion of ideas and technologies but as shown in the descriptions box it wasn't that architecture was first introduced by the outside world

[sn00piedog]

This is history I want to hear about Africans, they never talk about history of mali, lybia even barley egypt. When they teach about Africa all they say is poverty war torn, and slavery.

[pirell]

we all know that the arabs had no culture. just leeches who stole african culture.

[90rashad]

@termanology85 really because they have pictures and video of a african man putting it back together after some parts melted.

[insomniacgrace]

Wow, so bongga! Thanks for having this video posted.

[motowa01]

On the other hand, modernism promotes standardization and mass production. Industrialization kills diversity and erodes identity. On the other hand you find thousands of different language, culture, architecture and race over Muslim countries. You can't make the same statement when comes to USA, NZ, Canada, Australia, British: all speak same language, same culture and same system of government, killed local natives and their culture and language...

[motowa01]

There is no place for racism in Islam. Islam celebrates diversity and multiculturalism, just look at diverse mosque shapes, forms, materials, colors...

[sayyid14]

Is Arabic is Important in Mali? are Arabic was wide spoken in Mali? what i know that Niger,Nigeria,Chad,Mali was used arabic widely before European colonize,anybody answer my question.i hope Mali,Niger,Nigeria will make Arabic 1 of Offcial langauge in Niger,Nigeria,Mali,Sengal again