Militants of the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine extremist group sit in a vehicle near Timbuktu on April 24, 2012.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says damage to the cultural heritage in the war-torn Mali is more serious than previously estimated.
UNESCO said on Friday that over 4,000 ancient manuscripts have been lost in Maliâ„¢s famous northern city of Timbuktu with sixteen mausoleums destroyed.
Lazare Eloundou Assomo of the UN body said that a Thursday visit to the damaged and destroyed sites revealed that the destruction by al-Qaeda militant, who occupied Timbuktu, is Å“even more alarming than we thought.”
He said the Djingareyber Mosque, a very old mosque in the city also needs serious repair.
Assomo estimated the cost of preserving the ancient manuscripts at more than eleven-million dollars.
The ancient city of Timbuktu has been home to an old library for centuries, housing manuscripts on science, astrology, medicine history and theology.
The city was the scene of heavy clashes between French forces and local fighters earlier this year.
France launched a war in Mali on January 11, 2013 under the pretext of halting the advance of rebel fighters in the country.”
The French-led war on Mali has caused a serious humanitarian crisis in the northern areas of the country and has displaced thousands of people, who now live in deplorable conditions.
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This article originally appeared on: Press TV