Tombouctou, Mali, commonly known as “Timbuktu,” is located well off the beaten track, yet still holds an appeal to Westerners, capturing the imagination of travelers and adventurers for generations. Founded over 800 years ago by the Tuareg desert peoples, no other city remains as synonymous with the fabulous, the lonely, and the remote. The mausoleums of Timbuktu have long been places of pilgrimage for the people of Mali and neighboring countries.