​In English, the word Timbuktu is often used to mean a very remote place. Many people do not realize that Timbuktu is a real city in the West African republic of Mali. Timbuktu is located at the northernmost tip of the Niger river, at the edge of the Sahara . In the 11th century, it was a major trading port for gold and salt. Its location made it a natural meeting point for Africans and Arabs. Many Arab scholars made their home there, and by the 14th century, Timbuktu was considered a city of knowledge . The golden age ended in the 1500s, when the city was invaded by Morocco. For many centuries, Europeans considered Timbuktu a place of mystery that was too far away to explore.