Located in Mali on the African continent, Timbuktu is an ancient city with a long history. The old city is a maze of narrow winding streets and buildings constructed as a response to the challenging environment that is the Sahara desert. This layout allows shade to be cast on the streets throughout the day, keeping people out of direct sun. It also aids in minimizing the intrusion of sand into the buildings due to sandstorms.

Timbuktu, is a wall sculpture based on a section of the old city. A segment of figured anigre represents the dirt streets and panels of western walnut with koa accents reflect the buildings of the city. Several of these panels reveal storage spaces mimicking the odd shapes of the city's rooftops.