Timbuctoo
Remote African city
Timbuctoo is an older spelling of Timbuktu, the city in Mali.
The phrase from here to Timbuctoo means an impossibly remote distance—the city became proverbial in English for extreme remoteness before most speakers knew where it actually was.
The spelling Timbuctoo appears in older texts and on some U.S. place names.
West African country
- West AfricaContinent's western bulge
- Niger RiverWest African watercourse
- SaharaLargest hot desert
- SahelSemi-arid African transition zone
desert · dunes · oasis · sub-Saharan · arid · scorching · sandstorm · sirocco
Handwritten or typed originals
- trans-Saharan tradeCommerce crossing African desert
- salt tradeCommerce in crystalline preservative
- gold tradeExchange of precious metal
- scholarsExperts in a field
medieval · caravan · ancient · learning · heritage · archaeology · monuments · civilization
At great distance
- distantFar away or aloof
- inaccessibleCannot be reached
- isolatedSeparated from others
- unreachableCannot be accessed
outpost · secluded · godforsaken · ends of the earth · middle of nowhere · uncharted · frontier · desolate
Famous beyond ordinary measure
- fabledCelebrated in folklore
- storiedCelebrated in legend
- El DoradoFabled golden city
- Shangri-LaFictional Himalayan utopia
ends of the earth · uncharted · mysterious · unknown · beyond the horizon · fantastical · apocryphal · rumored
Mali
West African country
- West AfricaContinent's western bulge
- Niger RiverWest African watercourse
- SaharaLargest hot desert
Sahel · desert · dunes · oasis · sub-Saharan · arid · scorching · sandstorm · sirocco · erg
manuscripts
Handwritten or typed originals
- trans-Saharan tradeCommerce crossing African desert
- salt tradeCommerce in crystalline preservative
- gold tradeExchange of precious metal
scholars · medieval · caravan · ancient · learning · heritage · archaeology · monuments · civilization · French colonialism
faraway
At great distance
- distantFar away or aloof
- inaccessibleCannot be reached
- isolatedSeparated from others
unreachable · outpost · secluded · godforsaken · ends of the earth · middle of nowhere · uncharted · frontier · desolate · hidden
legendary
Famous beyond ordinary measure
Shangri-La · ends of the earth · uncharted · mysterious · unknown · beyond the horizon · fantastical · apocryphal · rumored · dreamland
Timbuctoohere
In this location
home · next door · nearby · close by · around the corner