Here's why:
* Timbuktu is a city in Mali, located in the Sahara Desert. For centuries, it was a major trading center, known for its mosques, universities, and rich cultural heritage.
* Historically, Timbuktu was considered a very remote and hard-to-reach place, particularly for people in Europe and North America. This made it a symbol of distance and remoteness.
Therefore, saying something is "as far away as Timbuktu" is an exaggeration that emphasizes its extreme distance.
The phrase is still used today, though it's less common than it was in the past. It remains a powerful image for expressing a sense of vast remoteness.