In English, the word Timbuktu is often used to mean a very remote place. Many people do not realize that Timbuktu is a real city in the West African republic of Mali. Timbuktu is located at the northernmost tip of the Niger river, at the edge of the Sahara Desert. In the 11th century, it was a major trading port for gold and salt. Its location made it a natural meeting point for Africans and Arabs. Many Arab scholars made their home there, and by the 14th century, Timbuktu was considered a city of knowledge. The golden age ended in the 1500s, when the city was invaded by Morocco. For many centuries, Europeans considered Timbuktu a place of mystery that was too far away to explore.