The Tuareg of the Sahara Last year, I travelled to Mali to witness first-hand the ancient Tuareg way of life in the Sahara Desert in north and west Africa. I was immediately…

The Tuareg of the Sahara Last year, I travelled to Mali to witness first-hand the ancient Tuareg way of life in the Sahara Desert in north and west Africa. I was immediately struck by the bright indigo veils worn by (I assumed) the women of this tribe. Imagine my surprise when one of these figures on a camel introduced 'himself' as Yousseff al-Hamada and explained that it's the Tuareg men, not the women, who wear this protection against the harsh sand. Over the first of many cups of mint tea (the Tuareg drink tea 6 or 7 times a day) Yousseff explained that in the past, these 'Blue Men of the Sahara' protected the camel trading caravans crossing the Sahara Desert. Now they mostly work as livestock herders. I sat, fascinated, as Yousseff showed me the ancient script of the Tuareg's language, which can be written from right to left, left to right or top to bottom. Later, while listening to the men singing traditional poems and the women playing a violin-like instrument, it seemed like an idyllic way of life. Unfortunately, with water holes drying up and animals dying because of recent droughts, many Tuareg are now migrating to cities. "We are seeing the beginning of the end of the Tuareg way of life," Yousseff told me, sadly. сократи текст и оставь только самое важное на английском языке