Subject: Timbuktu is in Mali
Posted by: parrotman2006
Date: Feb 03 10
You know the saying "From here to Timbuktu?" Well, to get there, go to Mali.
700 years ago, Mali was one of the richest places on Earth. The king, Mansa Musa, brought a caravan loaded with gold to Mecca in the 1300s.
He controlled an empire roughly the size of continental Europe.
Posted by: parrotman2006
Date: Feb 03 10
You know the saying "From here to Timbuktu?" Well, to get there, go to Mali.
700 years ago, Mali was one of the richest places on Earth. The king, Mansa Musa, brought a caravan loaded with gold to Mecca in the 1300s.
He controlled an empire roughly the size of continental Europe.
4 replies. On page 1 of 1 pages. 1
beachbumb101
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I did not know that. As an expression, my mom drove me all over Timbucktu or went to Timbucktu and back. I knew it was somewhere in Africa but I did not know Timbucktu was in Mali. Reply #1. Feb 03 10, 7:46 PM |
dcpddc478 
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Thanks for the info...thats one of those things that most people have heard said but could not tell you where Timbuktu is. I wonder where the saying came from. Does anyone know? Reply #2. Feb 05 10, 6:44 AM |
geniusonwheels
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Here is a page of some good discussion I found about the origin of the phrase. http://askville.amazon.com/origin-phrase-Timbuktu-coined/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=2723872 In summary, the name 'Timbuktu' means 'far away' and that traveling to Timbuktu would entail traveling much distance to achieve the goal at hand. The phrase also has symmetric rhyme because the phrase is '__ __ to __ __ to' with each blank being a syllable and 'to' being the pronounced syllable. Reply #3. Feb 05 10, 8:55 AM |
unterkircher
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Right on, Parrotman. That was one of the reasons Prince Henry the Navigator wanted to get sailors exploring - to find the source of all that gold. I teach Social Studies. Reply #4. Feb 06 10, 8:02 PM |
4 replies. On page 1 of 1 pages. 1
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