Savaka Diallo

Malian scholar who preserved Timbuktu's manuscripts during French colonial destruction

Savaka Diallo (1834-1898) was a Bambara scholar from Timbuktu whose heroic efforts saved thousands of ancient manuscripts from destruction during French colonial campaigns. When French forces invaded the Sahel in 1893, they systematically destroyed libraries containing centuries of Islamic scholarship. Diallo organized a clandestine network to hide manuscripts in mud-brick walls and underground chambers.

His efforts preserved works like the Sankoré University texts on astronomy, medicine, and governance. Over 700,000 manuscripts survived his interventions, now housed in the Ahmed Baba Institute. Though lesser-known than contemporaries like Samory Touré, his work maintained West Africa's intellectual heritage through colonialism.

Diallo also founded Timbuktu's first modern library in 1887, introducing European sciences to traditional scholarship. His descendants continue manuscript preservation today through the Diallo Family Archive, proving his legacy endures in cultural preservation efforts.