Local Masons Rebuild Ancient Tombs Destroyed By Militants

Local Masons Rebuild Ancient Tombs Destroyed By Militants

Local masons in Timbuktu, Mali have rebuilt eight ancient mausoleums, turning the tombs into monuments to tolerance and peace three years after an invading army destroyed them.

When militants first took over the city in 2012, they declared the Sofi Muslim mausoleums a form of idolatry and destroyed them. After only three months, the invaders were forced out of the city, and the United Nations set out to rebuild the historic tombs.

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hired local masons to rebuild a total of 14 of the mud and brick mausoleums. Eight have already been completed.