On the edge of the vast Sahara desert, citizens snuck out of the city of Timbuktu and took to the wilderness. They buried chests in the desert sand, hid them in caves, and sealed them in secret rooms. Inside these chests was a treasure more valuable than gold: the city’s ancient books. Why were they hiding these priceless manuscripts?

在广袤的撒哈拉沙漠边缘，市民们偷偷溜出廷巴克图城，来到荒野。他们把箱子埋在沙漠的沙子里，藏在山洞里，封在密室里。在这些箱子里有比黄金更宝贵的宝藏：城市的古书。他们为什么要把这些无价的手稿藏起来呢？