The most significant response regarding Timbuktu in West Africa is:
Timbuktu was a center for learning similar to the institutions that preceded universities in Europe.
Timbuktu, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, became a renowned hub of scholarship and culture, hosting prominent universities and attracting scholars from across the Muslim world. It was significant for its role in the spread of knowledge, particularly in areas like mathematics, astronomy, and literature. This made it an intellectual center of its time, similar to the early universities that would later develop in Europe.