ARABIC POETRY IN TIMBUKTU DURING THE 19th AND 20th CENTURIES: A MODEL STUDY

The written Arabic literary tradition of the Malian desert in West Africa remains largely unknown to the region's inhabitants and the wider Arab and Islamic world. Despite its distance from the traditional centers of Arabic poetry in the Arabian Peninsula, this literature deserves far more attention than it has received. Unfortunately, it has not been given the scholarly consideration it deserves in the research and studies conducted on this country, which could reveal its unique characteristics as a form of Malian African literature written in Arabic and its undeniable value regarding its scientific, cultural, and historical significance. The people inhabiting the Malian desert, including the Soninke, the Berbers, and particularly the Tuareg tribes, developed an Arabic sensibility and literary flair, leading them to compose works in various genres, including religious, linguistic, and literary texts, all at a high level. They also served as living models for others when writing poetry in classical Arabic. The literary renaissance in the northern Malian region emerged in the first half of the 19th century, spearheaded by poets from prominent Arab tribes such as the Tuareg, the Ansar, and the Kunta, as well as their disciples and the 20th century witnessed the rise of numerous poets who excelled in various literary fields. Tuareg poets have written on different subjects, including love, praise, elegy, description, satire, supplication, and prayer. Their poems incorporate many rhetorical and stylistic devices and are characterized by their beauty and sweetness of style.