Tindirma

Tindirma is a village and commune of the Cercle of Diré in the Tombouctou Region of Mali. As of 1998 the commune had a population of 3,419.^[1]

Tindirma
Commune and village
Country	Mali
Region	Tombouctou Region
Cercle	Diré Cercle
Population  (1998)
• Total	3,419
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
Climate	BWh

History

Established in 1496, Tindirma was once a Jewish community founded by Iberian Sephardi Jews who had been expelled from Spain and Portugal. Jewish graves and structures still remain in Tindirma.^[2] Tindirma quickly became an important trade and administrative town within the Songhai Empire, becoming the capital of the western provinces and the seat of the powerful Kurmina-fari. The town was destroyed by Askia Ishaq II in 1588 after a rebellion.^[3]

In 1963, the ethnic consciousness of Jewish descendants living in Tindirma was revived after local fishermen wanted to build a village on top of the remains of Al Yahudi Cemetery, causing local Jews to rise up in strong opposition.^[4]

See also

• Jews of Bilad el-Sudan

References

1. "Previsions de desserte des communes pour la periode de 2001-2005" (PDF). Mali Reforme Telecom. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 29, 2004. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
2. "Beyond the Saharan Cloak: Uncovering Jewish Identity from Southern Morocco and throughout the Sahara" (PDF). Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
3. Levtzion, Nehemiah (1977). "5 - The western Maghrib and Sudan". In Oliver, Ronald (ed.). The Cambridge History of Africa Volume 3: From c.1050 to c.1600. Cambridge University Press. p. 441. ISBN 9781139054577. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
4. "TINDERMA (Tindirma):". International Jewish Cemetery Project. Retrieved 2021-12-13.

16°08′N 3°38′W