Timbuktu Timbuktu is a town in Mali, situated 20 km north of the Niger River. It is said to have been founded by Tuareg nomads. It was a regional trade where caravans met to exchange goods in the olden days. Timbuktu flourished from the trade in salt, gold, ivory, and slaves. It is derived from the French word Tombouctou, which means any distant or outlandish place/ anywhere far away; this brings us to the commonly known joke phrase about Timbuktu " from here to Timbuktu" used to describe some remote, hard-to-reach mythical place, but never a real destination that one could actually visit. Official languages used in the city are the Songhai languages despite the official language of Mali is French. The Songhai languages are spoken mainly along the Niger River, from Djenné and Timbuktu in Mali eastward as far as Benin, with extensions into adjacent countries. The official currency in Mali is the West African CFA Franc (XOF), which is divided into 100 centimes and is tied to the Euro. Currency rate to USD is around 1 XOF is equal 0.00185527 USD. The general weather over the year is dry and partly windy. Muslim is the common religion in the city. When you visit the beautiful ancient city, there are several places/things to visit and do. I will highlight few of the places you could never miss to check out : Visit the beautiful ancient city with Alkhaleej Tours. Offering affordable prices to all our customers.