In the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, thousands of scientific and religious texts—among Africa’s oldest literature—have been hidden for centuries. This program examines the rich history and variety of Timbuktu’s lost libraries and shows how they have recently garnered the world’s attention. Viewers meet local scholars, as well as experts from across Africa and the Western world, who elucidate just how valuable these fragile treasures are to our knowledge of Africa, Islam, and the growth of literacy outside the Western tradition. The program also asks: how differently would Africa have developed if the libraries hadn’t been forced underground by colonial interests? A BBC Production. (52 minutes)