Timbuktu: A Little Piece of Andalusia in Africa
The Andalusian Library That One Family Guarded for Five Centuries in the Sahara
There are stories that seem impossible and yet are true. The story of the Kati Fund in Timbuktu is one of them. To think of what the nobleman Ali ben Ziyad al-Quti must have endured is sad, but the fact that over five hundred years later we still remember him means his effort was not in vain. And seeing now how his descendant, who throughout all these centuries has kept his clan’s heritage alive, tells their story — that is priceless.
The Renegades Who Spoke Castilian
When the laluyyi or arma — “the renegades,” as the inhabitants of the Niger Bend called them because of their contact with Christians in Castile — conquered the territories near Timbuktu, their army was made up largely of exiles from the former Arab kingdoms of Andalusia. They were led by Yuder Pacha, an Almerian who was born Diego de Guevara in Cuevas de Almanzora. His story, astonishing in its own right, deserves its own article.
He brought with him an army that spoke mostly Castilian: over five thousand Andalusians, supported by Maghrebis, another five hundred European renegades, a thousand camel drivers with eight thousand dromedaries, and a few cannons.
They settled in the northwestern bend of the Niger and, after the conquest, mixed with the local population. The Andalusians preserved their language — a blend of Castilian and Arabic — and a great many Castilian words passed into the languages of the Niger, especially Songhai.
What surprised them most was discovering they were not the first Andalusians to arrive. Others had come long before.
The Kati: One Family, One Library, a Centuries-Old Legacy
A century earlier, in May 1468, Ali ben Ziyad al-Quti fled al-Andalus and reached Timbuktu in the mid-15th century, carrying with him the greatest of his treasures: his personal library.
He was not received as a foreigner. In the 15th century communication between the kingdoms was fluid, both culturally and economically. The Djinguereiber Mosque — called “The Great One,” the oldest in the city — was built in 1325 by Ishaq es-Saheli, a Granadine architect.
The surname says everything: al-Quti means “the Goth.” He came from a Gothic family that converted to Islam when the Muslims reached the Iberian peninsula. He preserved his library, went into exile after the Reconquista, and changed his name to Kiti upon reaching the Niger, in present-day Mali. And even so, he kept his books as his most precious treasure.
This family always knew they were the custodians of a legacy begun by their ancestors. In the 10th century, Ibn al-Qutiya — “The Son of the Goth Woman” — had written the book of the conquest of al-Andalus. In the 12th century, al-Coati (Suleiman ben Arit al-Quti) was one of the most famous ophthalmologists of his time, with treatises ahead of his era.
And there is more. Ali’s son, Mahmud al-Quti, born in Niger, wrote the first history of Black Africa: the Tarik el-Fettash, the Chronicle of the Traveller, a comprehensive history of the people, places, and customs of sub-Saharan Africa. He is considered the first known Black writer.
And as a crowning touch: it has been proven that the entire family descends from Sara la Goda (Sarah the Goth), granddaughter of Wittiza, the last unchallenged Visigoth king, who reigned between 700 and 710. His death triggered the turbulent period that would lead to the Islamisation of the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo.
The Kati Fund: A Treasure Nearly Lost
The ordeals this family has had to endure so that the whole legacy could reach our days intact are unimaginable. The Kati Fund offers invaluable information about our Andalusian past and about how that culture spread beyond the sands of the Sahara.
But until recently, everything was on the verge of being lost. Centuries of priceless effort were nearly undone by degradation and greed. The Kati family has maintained, for over five hundred years, in the most incredible secrecy and always mindful of their Andalusian origins, one of the most extraordinary libraries in existence. Their documents touch on every subject: life in cities like Córdoba, medicine, mathematics, and above all, religion.
At the end of September 2003, the Andalusian library of Timbuktu was completed, housing the more than nine thousand manuscript documents of the Kati Fund. Most date from the 15th and 16th centuries and serve as a bridge between past and present, showing us how a family has managed to preserve with pride something that is as much a part of them as their genes: their culture and their roots.
Now the legacy of the last Visigoth king, of the first Arab historian, and of the first African writer rests in Africa. It is Timbuktu, but it is a little piece of Andalusia.
* Yes, we know. This isn’t exactly tourism in Andalusia. But we had to tell the story that there is an irreplaceable piece of our history in the heart of Africa. And, like Juan Ramón Jiménez, we’ve taken a small poetic liberty: we think “little piece” sounds lovelier than “small piece.”
If you’re interested in the history of al-Andalus and the Andalusian legacy, check out our guide to Córdoba, the city that was once the capital of the West. And to learn more about Yuder Pacha, born in Cuevas de Almanzora, see the guide to Almería.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit the Kati Fund in Timbuktu?
The library exists and the manuscripts are safeguarded, but Timbuktu is not a straightforward tourist destination. Instability in northern Mali means travel is advised against. What is known of the collection has come to light through international exhibitions and documentaries.
What does this have to do with Andalusia?
The founders of the Kati Fund were Andalusians who fled the Iberian peninsula after the Reconquista. Their military commander, Yuder Pacha, was born in Cuevas de Almanzora (Almería) and led an army of over five thousand Andalusians. The library is written in Arabic with influences from medieval Castilian.
How many documents does the Kati Fund contain?
More than nine thousand manuscripts, most from the 15th and 16th centuries. They cover everything from life in Caliphal Córdoba to treatises on medicine, mathematics, and astronomy.