I-n-Salah Travel Guide

 JLBG Says:  On this photo, our 75 years old companion, driving his 2cv Citroën is checking his beloved car before we head to the south and to Tamanrasset. When this photo was taken, the 600 km between In-Salah and Tamanrasset were by a sand track. I will later build a page on this... 

 JLBG Says:  On the first photo, a young boy is leading three donkeys loaded with empty “couffins” (strong baskets made of plaited palm leaves) towards the palm grove to collect freshly cut forage for the cattle.On the second photo, a man is standing stiff on donkey’s back and though it... 

 JLBG Says:  Also, as much as the sun rises, the palm grove comes back to life.On the first photo a man wrapped in a white gandoura tries to protect himself from the coolness of the early morning.On the second photo, two women try to hide from the camera.On the third photo, a man clad as... 

 JLBG Says:  Adobe bricks are made with red clay. It is sieved to keep the finest material. The sieved material is mixed with water to make a thick paste. The paste is then put in a wooden mold, on the ground and packed. After a few minutes (actually, almost immediately), the mold is... 

 JLBG Says:  Yesterday evening, at sunset, the sand was free of any footprints but all the animals that go out of their shelter only at night to avoid the deadly heat of the day have left their foot prints: insects, birds, mouse, snakes (not here). This shows well how much life there is... 

 JLBG Says:  In the same way, sunrises are fast. In the beginning, only the sky is lit, pale blue. The sand and the palm trees remain dark and almost colorless. The photo is nearly black and white. As the light is still low, it is not very sharp. 

 JLBG Says:  Sunsets in the desert are most of the time fabulous moments. When in a palm grove, the outline of the palm trees upon the flaring sky is an added value. The more you drive south, the earlier and the faster the sunset! When the light and the colors build a good picture, shoot... 

 JLBG Says:  The first photo is an alley in the palm groves. In oasis; it is always amazing to see the contrast between the green of the plants and the red of the earth. Plants always look greener in palm groves!The second photo shows a seguia. These small canals need much care. This is... 

 JLBG Says:  As in all the oasis, the palm grove stands a few kilometers away from the city. On these photos, once we had brought bread at the In-Salah baker’s, we were looking for a quiet place with some shade to have a picnic dinner on the edges of the palm grove.. 

 JLBG Says:  The medina (the old city) is fortified as a ksar. It has a beautiful crenellated city wall. As building in the old city, it was built in adobe and coated with red clay. I have not seen any recent pictures of these walling and I hope they have been kept in good condition. 

 JLBG Says:  The first photo shows a main avenue with the shade of a tamarisk. Tamarisk are often found in the Sahara, both wild and planted.The second photo shows the look of traditional houses built in adobe.The third photo shows a more modern part of the city : the street is paved,... 

 JLBG Says:  This “tower” stands in the old city center old In-Salah. Is it a tower? I actually do not remember what it is for but nevertheless it is impressive and it is interesting to look closely at how it was built. I have made a close up on the second photo that shows that each... 

 JLBG Says:  The mosque was built a little apart from the city, on the edges, as can be seen in the second photo and in the third photo (you must enlarge the photo to see it in the background). The first photo shows the mosque in all its beauty, standing with sand in every direction and... 

 JLBG Says:  As well as the city entrance and the whole old city, the souq (market) is built in adobe (I have a tip on adobe building), coated with red clay that gives to the whole city of In-Salah a typical look of its own. When driving from the north, it is the first place that has... 

 JLBG Says:  The entrance into the city, coming from the North and the Tademait Plateau is under an arch built in the typical Sudanese style, with its red color. Though built with raw bricks, this arch have been standing proudly at the city entrance forever (or almost!) It had already...