pancason
Part 203 Timbuktu

Their journey continues. Now they have to go to the end of the world, Africa. Timbuktu is a city in Mali, West Africa. The city is home to the University of Sankore and other madrasas, and also, the city was the center of the spread of Islam in Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. The city was once inhabited by the Songhay, Tuareg, Fulani, and Moorish tribes.

Timbuktu is often referred to as the end of the world. Therefore people describe themselves going to the end of the world by going to Timbuktu. If the Sahara serves as a sea, Timbuktu is its main port. It was also a major city in several empires. A city with houses made of mud. With conditions now increasingly deserted and isolated sand and sun, Timbuktu civilization seems almost extinct. Though there are still many universities and mosques of Islamic glory that stand firmly unoccupied. What a darling, right? Timbuktu, which was once successful, is now only a city in the middle of nowhere far away.

Timbuktu is located deep in the Sahara desert of Mali. But in the 16th to 18th centuries, Timbuktu became the most important place for the spread of Islam in the Black Continent. In addition, Timbuktu is also the place where hundreds of thousands of manuscripts of Islamic science and knowledge, ranging from astronomy, mathematics, medicine, to law. Some of them have been successfully preserved and become historical evidence for the existence of Islam in Timbuktu.

It is tragic for Timbuktu. The most important city in the history of Islamic civilization on the West African continent, has now turned into an isolated and remote region.

And there, they will continue this story. Timbuktu city.

"There's two more keys left to complete those 10, right?" ask Arya to the others. Their caravan is now beginning to lead to their next journey. He was now sitting in front, next to Gio who was focusing on his wheel. The eagle also took part in this journey. He also had a hand and special importance when the ten keys were found. The eagle must find Nabila and bring her home.

"It should be, yes. We just need to find 2 more keys. Here and the last place later" said the Eagle.

The hero who had been silent since then, kept staring at Abhimanyu and Ellea. The newlyweds have looked happier since they got married yesterday. A one-week honeymoon is enough for both. "What's it like being a husband and wife?" ask her with a thin smile.

Abi and Ellea who were chatting together then turned to Wira with a happy look. "Yes, Om. Finally it is also legitimate" said Abhimanyu with the hand of Ellea.

The hero pulled one corner of his lips while nodding in understanding. His eyes turned to Ellea. "Ready, Ell?"

Ellea smiled wryly and nodded. The two stared at each other for a moment, as if implying something deep and secret.

"Ready for what?" abi asked looking at Ellea and Wira alternately. Ellea turned and hugged her husband's arm. Abi frowned, a little confused, until finally the Eagle interrupted their conversation.

"Observe heart for this one place." The eagle sitting in the back seat of Gio was only able to stare at the scene outside the window. Beside him was a hero. Behind them were Nayla, Ellea and Abhimanyu.

"Well, Timbuktu. A city at the end of the world, but now it's terrible" Wira said.

"Isn't that Donald duck's town?" tanya Nayla slightly hardened her tone. "There really is, huh?" continued again.

"Maybe not the same as in the movie, Mother-in-Law," looks Ellea who sits in the middle, between Abhimanyu and Nayla.

Nayla who was not used to her new call then glanced sharply, until finally Ellea hugged the woman tightly as an apology. Because Nayla did not want to be called that way. However, he is still much younger than Ellea and Abhimanyu. And his young soul thrashed not to accept the call, which seemed impressed to show he was very old from his present age.

While the young man beside Ellea, instead smiled happily, but also felt strange with the attitude of Wira and Ellea. Like something was hidden from him.

Their journey began to reach the end. Now the expanse of desert was visible along the road they encountered. The quiet atmosphere slowly began to be felt. Even now they began to rarely see people along the way.

They arrived at a village. According to PETA this is Timbuktu. And according to what they learned, the building in front of them was indeed in accordance with what was described earlier. All the buildings in front of them were made of mud, straw and wood. There are no different colors for each building. All the same, brown color. The base color of the mud.

"Wow, this looks like a giant sand castle!" gio said sitting in front. Automatically very clearly see the building in front of them.

"That's really Timbuktu?" ask the Eagle to make sure.

"really. Look, there's the writing, "pointing Arya to a board in front of the giant sand castle.

The city was surrounded by a large wall of the same base. Mud, wood, and straw. Surrounding the building inside. It looks like a fortress. True said Gio, if you look at a glance, it looks like a giant sand castle.

They decided to get off the caravan. Before going out, they wear the same headgear as the locals. Armed with their hunt in a market shortly after they arrived on the continent.

Apparently the rumors circulating are not entirely true. Because apparently there are still people who inhabit this place. They saw some people crossing the place. Almost everyone wears a long-stretched turban that is worn to cover their nose and mouth.

The locals looked strangely at the horde of Aryans and the others. Of course they will look very foreign, because of their different appearance.

One by one down. As their feet stepped on the ground, the breeze hit their bodies fiercely. This place is hot, but the wind is quite strong. And of course make the sand fly into the air freely. This is the reason why they have to wear a head covering because the sand will greatly interfere with breathing later.

"Well, we're definitely going to the car wash, baby," said Gio stroking his caravan door.

They started exploring the place. Occasionally decide to greet local residents for just a stale or looking for information that they might need. Until finally they decided to rest in a fairly large building there. A mosque. Djingareyber Mosque.

Djingareyber Mosque is a sacred building and learning center built in 1327.

Still functioning today, the Djingareyber Mosque is among three mosques that make up the University of Timbuktu. Timbuktu is a city dubbed the 'city of gold' and is considered a difficult destination to reach.

Almost all parts of Djingareyber Mosque are built of mud, straw, and wood.

After capturing Timbuktu, the militants quickly instituted their own version of the Sharia law.

They pelted women with stones for not wearing clothes that were considered appropriate and in accordance with religious teachings.

In addition, the militants cut off the hands of musicians caught in violation of a totalitarian ban on all forms of music.

The mosque has also experienced long success and experienced various wars, conflicts, and political upheavals over the past eight centuries. The last upheaval the Djingareyber Mosque witnessed came in 2012 when militant Islamist groups seized the city and began terrorizing locals.

Shortly after Timbuktu's capture, the attention of the militants turned to artifacts of Timbuktu's historic culture. These included ancient Muslim houses of worship, which they declared forbidden by Islam.

The militants destroyed the graves of seven Muslim saints with hoes and axes, two of which were in the Djingareyber Mosque. The militants were driven out of Timbuktu in early 2013 by French troops sent to liberate the city.

Despite the defeat of the militants, Timbuktu remains a dangerous place to visit.

Although the Djingareyber Mosque and nearby museums that house some of Islam's historic manuscripts are technically open to visitors, reaching Timbuktu through commercial means of transport is almost impossible.

But do not doubt their abilities. All the places they would go, there was no place that was difficult for them. And for that reason, this mosque looks silent. There is no worship activity in it.

"We rest first. While putting together a plan to figure out where the key is," Arya said.

"Yes, this place is huge anyway. If without a plan, we are like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Eagle agreed.

Any break in the car will be different to this place. Here they really feel the real rest. Even Gio had snored for a short time while laying down his body on the floor. Do not imagine the atmosphere of a mosque like in Indonesia, because the situation is still here is much different from most mosques out there. There is no clean white ceramic floor underneath. Or a wall with white paint and some Allah asthma decoration, there is only a floor with the same color as the whole building.

They finally rolled out a large carpet, some decided to perform worship in accordance with the teachings of their respective religions.

While the hero just sits with legs crossed, silent, as if he was fervently praying. Abi approached her, sitting next to the man.

"Om what are you doing?" ask Abi lirih. While others are busy taking care of themselves, some are sleeping, bathing, looking around, but the hero just sits still. And it's been almost an hour of sitting in the same position.

"Pray," he turned a little to Abi and then looked back to the front.

"Angels also keep praying, huh, Om?"

"definitely. Have you ever prayed?" ask the Hero back. Abi remained silent for a while as he finally chuckled with a mocking laugh.

"Let's go, I even forgot the last time I prayed."

"Why?" ask the curious hero.

"Maybe I'm not a man of faith, Om. I have even cursed God. Ever since my mom and dad died, my life has been turned upside down. Especially after everything that's happened, I don't think God wants to see me at all." Abhimanyu's voice trembled. Although the situation is different now, but the pain and emptiness in his heart was still increasingly felt until now. "Honestly, I have a grudge against him! Why would he give me such a fate?!"

Wira took a deep breath, she then sat sideways, facing the young man beside her. "Bi, don't you know that everything you've been through is proof of HIS love for you?" asked Wira by trying to stare in Abi's eyeballs.

"Love? What kind of love does HE mean, Om? Do not because Om Wira one of his parties, Om Wira said so."

"No. It's not like that. You know it yourself, right? That I'm not the best either? I'm even one of his creations that HE hates. I'm damned, Bi. You know what it feels like to be punished like that, forever?!For years, even hundreds of years, me and your parents have been serving that sentence. Repeated all our lives, and all this has been arranged by HIM. All fate."

"..."

"I could have snatched him. My little mistake, in my opinion, just made me throw to earth and become human. That's really embarrassing, you know? How my brother sneered at us as we passed into the sky. We just passed by, and again fell to earth to serve the punishment again. You know, how does it feel? Weary. You mending, your life is much better than ours. At least, you will only live life once in my life. Especially after all this stuff is done."

"I mean, Om Wira?"

The hero did not answer, just smiled, then moved while patting Abhimanyu's shoulder. "Later you'll find out, Bi. How much God loves you."

The hero left Abhimanyu still stricken with confusion. The young man was still silent as he looked ahead. Staring in the direction that the Hero was looking at, as a way of praying to the creator. Abi was about to follow in his footsteps, perhaps. Or just staring cynically in that direction. But deep down, he really believed in God. It's just a different way. He is not a man of faith like most people have been. But he believes in God. With a grudge in his heart.

__________

"Gue learned the MAP of this city. Some corners are empty, there is no local activity," explained Gio while pointing to a one-meter paper with a plan of Tumbuktu city. "This same area is empty. While here there are some residents who live, keep the same this ... This ... And this."

"Will you talk to them?" ask Arya.

"About. The Eagle's the same Hero, I don't know their language."

Arya turned to look at the two people that Gio had mentioned earlier.

"Where? What did you guys get?"

"If from what I observed, the people who still live here are different. All according to their respective tribes. There are Songhay, Tuareg, Fulani, and Moorish. They were scattered at several points in this city. Not all I have been to, so there is not much information, too" said Elang.

"So I tried to ask the Tuareg tribe, because this tribe is the first tribe that controls this region," said Wira.

"Then? What result?" ask Gio.

"They're silent. I don't want to say much, just that I'm sure that they know something" he said.

"How do you do, Om? Are we moving in silence? Maybe tonight?"

"You mean to move silently, how about, Bi?"

"It looks like it's hidden somewhere. If they're acting weird, then they know about it, right?"

"Take it too."

"Yes we're moving tonight."