Seeking cultural treasures in desert dust

Timbuktu had its golden age in the 15th and 16th centuries. Thousands of Islamic and secular manuscripts produced at this time have since been scattered the four winds in the Sahara. In the 1980s, librarian Abdel Kader Haidara travelled around to reassemble these documents. He succeeded – but then Al-Qaida emerged ...

US journalist and author Joshua Hammer arrived to tell the story of this hunt and how cultural heritage so often comes under threat in conflict zones. He is interviewed by Tomm Kristiansen, who is also interested in the manuscripts from Timbuktu.

The conversation will be in English.