Timbuktu in 1893, a situation that lasted until it became part of the current Republic of Mali in 1960. Presently, Timbuktu is impoverished and suffers from desertification. In its Golden Age, the town's numerous Islamic scholars and extensive trading network made possible an important book trade: together with the campuses of the Sankore Madrasah, an Islamic university, this established Timbuktu as a scholarly centre in Africa. Several notable historic writers, such as Shabeni and Leo Africanus, have described Timbuktu. These stories fuelled speculation in Europe, where the city's reputation shifted from being extremely rich to being mysterious. Over the centuries, the
Town & Country Village (Houston) Town & Country Village (Houston) Town & Country Village is an open-air shopping center in western Houston, Texas, United States, within the Memorial City district. The complex straddles the northbound frontage road of Beltway 8, north of Memorial Drive and south of CityCentre. From 1983 to 2004, Town & Country Village neighbored Town & Country Mall, an enclosed shopping mall which was located on the present-day CityCentre site. The development features over of retail space and a 10-story, office building. Town & Country Village is owned by Houston-area development firm Moody Rambin. The Original Town & Country Village was built