A Timbuktu bibliophile between the Mediterranean and the Sahel: Ahmad Bul'arāf and the circulation of books in the first half of the twentieth century

Ahmad Bul'arāf, a Timbuktu bibliophile, played a pivotal role in the circulation of books—both manuscripts and printed works—across vast regions spanning the Mediterranean to the Sahel during the first half of the twentieth century. His extensive network, connecting Timbuktu with cities like Beirut, Cairo, Algiers, Fes, Dakar, and Kano, highlights how a single individual could sustain and animate cross-regional book trade, fostering intellectual exchange on the edges of the Sahara. This study sheds light on the historical significance of books as central to learning and the enduring impact of personal networks in shaping cultural and academic connections across diverse spaces.

Jeppie, S. (2015). A Timbuktu bibliophile between the Mediterranean and the Sahel: Ahmad Bul’arāf and the circulation of books in the first half of the twentieth century. The Journal of North African Studies, 20(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/13629387.2014.983734