Sahara with Michael Palin (2002)
S01E03 Absolute Desert
Episode Overview
Michael arrives in Timbuktu with a caravan transporting massive salt blocks that once established the city as a prominent hub of Islamic scholarship until the 16th century. As he explores the remnants of modern-day Timbuktu, he seeks out the Imam, who reveals ancient astronomical manuscripts that were created two centuries before Galileo's findings.