In memoriam – Grand Imam Abderahamane Ben Essayouti, protector of the cultural heritage of Timbuktu

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre honors the memory of the Grand Imam of the Djingareyber Mosque in Timbuktu, Abderahamane Ben Essayouti, an eminent spiritual leader who dedicated his life to the management and preservation of the city’s cultural heritage.

Throughout his life, he devoted himself to the transmission of knowledge, the preservation of faith, and the safeguarding of Timbuktu’s centuries-old traditions. Known as the “City of 333 Saints,” Timbuktu has been on the UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. During the 15th and 16th centuries, it was recognized as an intellectual and spiritual capital and a major center for the spread of Islam in Africa.

Grand Imam Abderahamane Ben Essayouti played a decisive role in one of the most important moments in the city’s recent history: the reconstruction of the saints’ mausoleums after their destruction in 2012. By guiding and supporting the reconstruction efforts led by UNESCO and its partners, these historic and sacred sites—vital to the cultural and spiritual life of local communities—were restored. This symbolic action sent a strong message to the people of Mali and the wider world: cultural heritage is and will remain a source of resilience, tolerance, and peace.

Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre, who had the honor to conduct with him the rehabilitation of Timbuktu, when he led UNESCO’s Mali Office, recalls: "We owe him not only the reconstruction of Timbuktu’s saints’ mausoleums, but also the preservation of local building cultures and heritage stewardship as well as the safeguarding of more than 400,000 ancient manuscripts, which allows us to appreciate Timbuktu’s grandeur over nearly 900 years. As he used to say, the ancient manuscripts and the saints’ mausoleums of Timbuktu are the two lungs without which this millennial city could not survive. His generosity of spirit, his faith in culture as a force for peace, and his unwavering dedication to his community will remain an example for us all."

His legacy endures through the Djingareyber Mosque, the restored mausoleums, and the vitality of Timbuktu’s traditional construction practices. His inaugural lecture at UNESCO, delivered on 18 November 2013 during the 37th session of the General Conference, stands as a lasting testament to the spirit of resilience and dignity he inspired beyond Mali’s borders.

May his memory continue to illuminate Timbuktu and the world.