The trade routes of the Milesians also took them to Mesopotamia, where they probably acquired the knowledge of astronomy they needed for celestial navigation and timekeeping.

WSJ: 'Aladdin's Lamp'

"Timbuktu in the 14th to the 16th century was an important university city where many manuscripts referring to knowledge of astronomy, economy, religion, mathematics, physics, and medicine were produced, " said Lazare Eloundou, chief of the Africa unit for UNESCO's World Heritage Center.

CNN: Timbuktu: Mali's treasure at risk from armed uprising