The tribe has embraced Islam but firmly hold onto some of the customs that would not be acceptable to the wider Muslim world.
For centuries the nomadic Tuareg tribe have crossed the Sahara desert, sometimes being led by the blind who used their heightened sense of smell and taste to pick a safe path across the ever-shifting sands.
Their men became known as the ‘blue men of the Sahara’ because the dye from their distinctive indigo scarves rub off onto their faces giving them a mysterious air. The Tuareg evoke images of a long forgotten and romantic age.
It is the men, and not the women, who cover their faces
But behind the ancient way of life is a culture so progressive it would even make some people in liberal western cultures blush. Women are allowed to have multiple sexual partners outside of marriage, keep all their property on divorce and are so revered by their sons-in-law that the young men wouldn’t dare eat in the same room.
What is even more surprising is that even though the tribe has embraced Islam they have firmly held onto some of the customs that would not be acceptable to the wider Muslim world.
Owner: A nomadic Tuareg woman in front of her tent. The mother’s tent is the heart of the family
Categories: Africa