National Archives of Mali

The National Archives of Mali is located in Bamako, Mali. Bamako is at the Ahmed Baba Institute, a centre that houses and preserves a large collection of historical Arabic and African manuscripts, is located in Timbuktu. The institute houses a number of traditional music instruments such as the kora, African drums and percussion.

The kora is by far the most popular traditional instrument. It is similar to both a harp and a lute and can have between 21 and 25 strings. There are two styles of playing the kora; the western style is found mostly in Senegal and The Gambia, and is more rhythmically complex than the eastern tradition, which is more vocally dominated and found throughout Mali and Guinea. Ngoni (lutes) and balafon (xylophones) are also common. Mande percussion instruments include the tama, djembe and dunun drums.

National Archives of Mali are the largest of the former French West Africa States; they contain documents dating from 1855-1958, the successive phases of the history of Sudan, Upper Senegal-Niger and French Sudan.

In addition, documents from the military department of Niger (now Republic of Niger) also came into Kuluba. Among the documents one might not expect to find at Kuluba is a collection from the southeastern portions of Mauritania, including territory that at one time formed parts of the cercles of Kayes, Nioro, and Timbuktu, as well as the entire cercle of Nema.