Abdel Kader Haidara – The African Librarian Who Secretly Moved over 278,000 Ancient Manuscripts From Timbuktu

The Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library, located in Timbuktu, Mali, is a significant private manuscript library established by Abdel Kader Haidara in 2000. This library honors his father, Mamma Haidara, and is renowned for preserving one of the most extensive private manuscript collections in Timbuktu, comprising approximately 22,000 items.

Historical Background

Origins of the Collection

The library’s manuscript collection traces its roots back to the 16th century with Mohamed El Mawlud as its founder. Following the sack of Timbuktu by Moroccan soldiers in 1591, El Mawlud’s descendants, particularly the Haidara family, safeguarded their manuscripts within their family home, ensuring their preservation alongside other scholarly households in Timbuktu.

Contributions of Mamma Haidara

In the 20th century, Mamma Haidara expanded the collection by acquiring Malian manuscripts and purchasing additional works in Egypt and Sudan. His dedication to collecting historical manuscripts led to the procurement of over 2,500 texts for the Ahmed Baba Institute before his passing in 1981. Throughout his life as a judge, scholar, and educator, Mamma Haidara cultivated collaborative relationships with various manuscript libraries aimed at promoting research, conservation, and manuscript exchange throughout Mali.

Abdel Kader Haidara’s Leadership

Upon Mamma Haidara’s death in 1981, his son, Abdel Kader Haidara, inherited his father’s collection. In 1984, he was invited by the head of the Ahmed Baba Institute to continue his father’s legacy by leading manuscript acquisition efforts for the library. For the next 12 years, Haidara traveled across Mali, collecting manuscripts from families and individuals.

The manuscripts, known as the Timbuktu Manuscripts, date back from the 12th to the early 20th centuries and encompass a diverse array of subjects, including history, philosophy, religion, science, medicine, and poetry, written in multiple languages. With the support of the al-Furqan Heritage Foundation in London, Haidara commenced cataloging the library’s holdings. In 1991, he shifted his focus exclusively to his personal collection.

Establishing the Library

In 1996, Haidara founded the Savama-DCI foundation to assist other families with large collections of Timbuktu Manuscripts. This initiative received funding from the Ford Foundation in Nigeria, enabling the establishment of two new libraries in Mali: the Al-Wangari Library and the Allimam Ben Essayoutiand Library. Additionally, professional archivists and conservators were hired to maintain and preserve the manuscripts. Haidara gained prominence for this endeavor, attracting notable visitors such as Henry Louis Gates, which helped him secure funding from the Andrew Mellon Foundation to open the Mamma Haidara Library in 2000.

Digitization and Preservation Efforts

Beginning in 2008, the library initiated a digitization process for some manuscripts, supported by the Ford Foundation. Notably, in 2009, manuscripts from the library were showcased at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

In 2010, the Library of Congress featured manuscripts from the Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library in an online exhibition titled “Ancient Manuscripts from the Desert Libraries of Timbuktu.”

Crisis and Relocation

The safety of the library’s manuscripts became critically threatened in 2012 when Al-Qaeda-linked militants posed risks to Timbuktu. In response, Abdel Kader Haidara organized the relocation of over 350,000 manuscripts to Bamako for safekeeping. These manuscripts were at risk of being regarded as haram according to a strict interpretation of Islamic beliefs and were valuable targets for looters.

Haidara and his team meticulously packed manuscripts encompassing disciplines such as astronomy, poetry, history, and jurisprudence into metal chests, transporting them from the library using mules and small vehicles to secure locations throughout the city. The journey, spanning approximately 500 miles to Bamako, was fraught with challenges, including a boat carrying manuscripts that was held for ransom on the Niger River, along with searches by jihadists and Malian soldiers that resulted in damage to some fragile documents.

Moreover, the manuscripts faced environmental threats due to the humid climate of Bamako, which contrasts sharply with the drier conditions of Timbuktu, posing risks to the preservation of these important texts. As of 2016, the manuscripts rescued by Haidara and his team remained secured in safe-houses and storage facilities throughout Bamako, awaiting the opportunity for proper preservation and display.