Final answer:
Timbuktu rose to prominence as a center of learning under the Mali Empire, with significant growth during Mansa Musa's reign. It remained an intellectual hub during the Songhai Empire's period until its decline, leaving behind a rich scholarly legacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The civilization that gave rise to Timbuktu as a center of learning was the Mali Empire. During the thirteenth century, Timbuktu flourished under the Mali Empire, becoming a significant center for Islamic learning. This period of intellectual prosperity extended into the seventeenth century. The city was endowed with scholars, teachers, and students, who gathered at educational institutions like the Sankore mosque, which also housed a madrasa (an Islamic religious school)
Timbuktu became internationally known for commerce and education during Mansa Musa's reign, attracting scholars and thinkers from across the Islamic world.
The urban center established itself as a hub for the written word and education, with over one hundred schools and eighteen universities for Islamic studies. Mansa Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca and generous distribution of gold brought fame and wealth to the region, further cementing Timbuktu as a prestigious learning center and part of trans-Saharan trade.
After the decline of the Mali Empire, Timbuktu continued its legacy under the Songhai Empire. It maintained its reputation as an educational hub with its universities and educational institutions becoming well-known. However, the Songhai Empire ultimately fell to the Moroccan Berber forces, leading to political fragmentation but leaving behind a rich legacy of learning and scholarship in Timbuktu.