latimes:Preserving ancient teachings in TimbuktuBoubacar Sadeck, the youngest of Timbuktu’s sc
latimes:Preserving ancient teachings in TimbuktuBoubacar Sadeck, the youngest of Timbuktu’s scribes at 38, is a master of an ancient art - one that ties him closely to the historical writings that he spends his days transcribing and preserving.“My weakness, my love, is calligraphy,” said the scribe, who fled Timbuktu, famed for its collection of centuries-old manuscripts, when Islamist militias invaded last year. “If I go a day without writing, I feel as if something is missing or strange. When I sit down with my paper and my pen, I feel wonderful. I feel at ease.”Many of Timbuktu’s ancient scripts are now refugees separated from their former home in Ahmed Baba Institute after Islamist militias invaded. The rest have been either lost or destroyed in the chaos caused by the successful fight to drive the militias out of the city. Now, the future of these artifacts from the past is up in the air.Read more in reporter Robyn Dixon’s story herePhotos: Evan Schneide / UN, Eric Feferberg / AFP/Getty Images -- source link