Google launches Mali’s digitised treasure trove to the world

Google on Thursday launched a digitised treasure trove, tagged: Mali Magic, which preserves and showcases that country’s historic and contemporary arts and culture to the world.

Chance Coughenour, Programme Manager and Digital Archaeologist, Google Arts & Culture said the aim was to enable people all over the world view 40,000 digitised manuscripts, music, arts and heritage sites.

Coughenour said, at the virtual launch, the job was put together by local and international organisations, since 2015, to share Mali’s incredible stories and rich heritage sites.

He said that many of the endangered manuscripts were smuggled to safety during political unrest in the country.

According to him, it also contains more than 50 exhibits, which include the first online, interactive tours of some of Mali’s most significant historic sites.

He said that all the mausoleums and mosques, including the Sidi Yahiya and Djinguereber Mosques and the Tomb of Askia were contained in the trove.

“The Malian city of Timbuktu gave birth to an abundance of learning in the fields of human rights, morality, politics, astronomy and literature captured in thousands of manuscripts.

“When this ancient knowledge was threatened by extremist groups in 2012, local communities raced against time to preserve these treasures.

“This legacy is now available for people across the world to explore,” he said.

According to him, together with its local partners, Google Arts and Culture shared the country’s resilience in the face of political struggles with the world.

“Google Arts and Culture is honoured to support our partners with the technology to make their work accessible to people all over the world.

“Google Arts and Culture also worked with Artist and Musician DJ Spooky (Paul Miller) to create short videos to explore the evolution of storytelling, from West Africa to the American blues.

“An original album, Maliba, by Malian Singer, Songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, produced in Mali and written about the country’s cultural legacy, was created exclusively for the project,” he said.

Dr Abdel Haidara, the ‘badass librarian’, said the heritage of Mali represented the long legacy of written knowledge and academic excellence in Africa.

According to Haidara, the heritage holds potential to inspire global learning from the actions of the past in confronting modern day issues.

Our correspondent reports that the team also promised to digitise other African cultural heritage, including Nigeria, soon.