Inside Bamako: Africa's fastest-growing city – in pictures

Situated on the Niger river, Bamako is the fastest growing-city in Africa. In 1960, Mali's capital had a population of 100,000; now it is home to 1.6 million. The city is clogged with traffic, and cheap motorbike imports from Indonesia are particularly popular
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

Mali's national animal, the hippopotamus, features in the story of Mali Sadio in which a girl falls in love with the animal. The hippo is later killed by a jealous young hunter. This statue is on Independence Boulevard in Bamako
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

The three crocodiles represent Bamako, which means the river of crocodiles in Bambara, the language spoken by the main ethnic group of the same name in Mali
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

At times Bamako seems like one big market, as traders line pavements and roads to sell everything from clothes to food
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

The sun can be fierce in Bamako, even in September, which is supposedly the cool season. The rains can also be ferocious, so a canopy comes in handy
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

The minibuses in Bamako can be packed. This one does not look so bad
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

This is what happens when it rains in Bamako. In August, at least 24 people died in flash floods after torrential rain
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

Dr Mohamed Diagayte, from the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, stands by ancient manuscripts smuggled out in metal cases to Bamako. Islamists torched the institute's two libraries before being driven out of Timbuktu by French forces. Diagayate wants to get the documents back to Timbuktu as soon as possible because of the risk of damage from Bamako's humidity
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

This 18th-century manuscript relates to jurisprudence. There are plans to restore and digitise the manuscripts under a Unesco scheme run by Luxembourg to ensure worldwide access to these ancient documents, some of which date to the 12th century
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian

Mali is one of the world's poorest countries. It ranks 182 of 186 countries in the UN's human development index. Only 33% of adults can read
Photograph: Mark Tran/The Guardian