AGADEZ
The
largest city in northern Niger (pop. 70,000), lies in the Sahara and is the capital
of Aïr, one of the traditional Tuareg federations. Founded before the 14th century,
the city is vital for trans-Saharan trade, in particular bringing salt from Bilma. |
|  | |
| The
60-foot high Grand Mosque, the iconic structure of Agadez. Ed regaining
shoes after leaving the Mosque. | |
 | Agadez
streets as seen from the top of the Grand Mosque | |
 | Entrance
of our Libyan-owned hotel, and the houses beyond. | |
| View
of rooms from hotel courtyard | |
| Some
old-style street traffic | |
 | Agadez's
fanciest restaurant for our last night in Niger | |
| | | |
Short
Sightseeing Stops in the Desert
| | |
 | Tiguidit
Cliffs. On our first day into the desert, we stop to look at prehistoric rock
paintings, supposedly thousands of years old (below) | |
 | | |
Ed
at the monument to Arbre du Ténéré,
once a lonely tree
in the desert before
being knocked down by truck driver in '70s | | | |
| | |
| FACHI.
A desert oasis town, known for its salt-making factory | |
 | Overview
of the saline ponds | |
| Each
of these ponds is worked by a family | |
| Salt
of two different qualities (one for people and the other for animals) is scooped
and dried | |
| The
dried salt is then formed intoconical-shaped pillars to facilitate easy transport
across the desert | |
| | | |
| Ed
photographing a petrified tree trunk | |
 | A
tiny, but very popular, oasis
featuring a well | |
 | Pulling
water from the well | |
 | A
local woman tends another, more primative well | |
 | Someone
(a camel?) who didn't make it to an oasis | |
| Very
weathered bone with soft-issue still attached | |
| |
