Mali: Timbuktu heritage may be threatened, Unesco says
Timbuktu's mud and wood architecture is unique
The fighting in northern Mali could damage the World Heritage Site of Timbuktu, the UN's cultural agency Unesco has warned.
Timbuktu's "outstanding architectural wonders" must be safeguarded, Unesco head Irina Bokova said in a statement.
The historic town was seized on Sunday - but there are conflicting reports as to whether Islamist or separatist Tuareg rebels are in control.
West African states have imposed sanctions on Mali after a recent coup.
Correspondents say long lines have formed at petrol stations in the capital, Bamako, shortly after the embargo was announced on Monday.
The junta of Capt Amadou Sanogo overthrew Mali's government nearly two weeks ago, saying the campaign against the recent Tuareg rebellion, had been poorly run.
But the Tuareg rebels have taken advantage of the political situation and made rapid advances in the past few days.
They are now in control of a third of the West African country, including the key towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu.
The rebels are divided into two groups - one fighting for independence for the northern Tuareg homelands and another linked to the North African branch of al-Qaeda.
There are some reports that the Islamist fighters have raised their black flag over Timbuktu.
The BBC's Alou Diawara in the capital, Bamako, says some civilians are fleeing the central town of Mopti, fearing a rebel advance further south.
According to the UN refugee agency, since January the violence has uprooted more than 200,000 people, including around 100,000 who have fled the country.
Tourist attractionUnesco and other cultural experts worry that the instability could endanger the country's cultural heritage.
Timbuktu - on the edge of the Sahara desert - is littered with impressive architecture, using mud and wood in a unique style.
Structures include the great mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia and 16 cemeteries.
"They are essential to the preservation of the identity of the people of Mali and of our universal heritage," Ms Bokova said, calling on all parties to fulfil international obligations to safeguard heritage in times of war.
The historic city is nearly 1,000 years old - and used to be a thriving town - thanks to a successful gold and salt trade - and an important centre of Islamic study.
It is home to about 700,000 ancient manuscripts, held in approximately 60 private libraries.
"At its zenith in the middle of the 15th Century Timbuktu was known all over the world as a repository for all sorts of knowledge, including Arabic Islamic writing, science, maths and history," Lydia Syson, an expert on Mali, told the BBC.
The Timbuktu of old is a far cry from the Timbuktu of today: It is poor and parts of it are sinking under the encroaching desert sands.
It has until recently attracted tourists but they have been put off by a spate of kidnappings by a group with links to al-Qaeda.
Nevertheless, in recent years a lot of money has been invested in trying to preserve Timbuktu's manuscripts, some of which have already been destroyed.
Many collections have been digitised and local scholars trained in how to interpret the literary treasures, most of which are family collections that have been handed down from generation to generation.
Ancient family manuscripts have been handed down from generation to generation
The rebel takeover could disrupt these efforts and prevent access to the manuscripts.
"What is so important about Timbuktu's literary patrimony is that it is a challenge to western ideas that Africa is a land of song and dance and oral tradition," Ms Syson said.
"It reveals a continent with an immensely rich literary and scientific heritage," she said.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the crisis in Mali later on Tuesday.
Capt Sanogo has said the army is not leaving power, but has promised to consult local political forces to set up a transition body "with the aim of organising peaceful, free, open and democratic elections in which we will not take part".
The coup and Tuareg rebellion have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis in Mali and some neighbouring countries, with aid agencies warning that 13 million people need food aid following a drought in the region.
