Le bien culturel de Tombouctou, une patrimonialisation discutée ? Conditions locales de réception de la notion de patrimoine de type UNESCO

The targeting of the mausoleums in Timbuktu by small Islamic groups during the socio-political crisis in 2012 has surely reignited the debate about the future of that heritage. However, it has, above all, reminded us that the religious nature of that heritage must not be lost sight of. The cultural heritage in Timbuktu is generally referred to as a collection of exceptional historical sites but its cultural dimension, which is central to its social consideration at the local level, is consciously or unconsciously overlooked. Can we talk of a breakdown in the way we understand cultural heritage, when the ancient manuscripts for which the city was once known remain quite unknown? Has Timbuktu been a victim of its own fame? It certainly has with regard to its famous sites, the worshipping of which, particularly the worshipping of saints seems to be glossed over, although they are still highly controversial, especially for the Islamic Salafist movement, of which those who destroyed the mausoleums claimed to be linked to. Does UNESCO take into account this sensitive question of the symbolic dimension of the sites? The initial hypothesis being the existence of divergences in opposing representations of the so-called patrimonial property in the current context of growing controversy over the issue of religion and of an intense international involvement, we must therefore provide additional information about the mosques and mausoleums and an understanding of the role and the legitimate place of these sites in Timbuktu.