Rua Central, 8, 2640-028, Ribamar, Portugal
project image
Memorial of Taoudenni
Taoudenni
Long caravans starting from Timbouktou have reached Morocco following the Azalai Route for thousands of years. An army of camels was raised and conducted through deserted lands, strong sandy winds under the most extreme temperatures on the planet, to trade gold for salt, the whole journey lasted 2 months on average. In a time when the salt stone was the base for conservation of food gold was something easily invested for the benefit of storing food. Caravans reached Taoudenni to get loaded with salt stones to be then carried to Sigilmassa and therefore Europe. Taoudenni is the name of the land that is located in the salt basin of the north of Mali, the thousands of pits been dug in the ground for centuries makes Taoudenni one of the biggest hand made sculptures in the world, covering an area of roughly 4 hectares, which is just what has not been buried by the sandy wind when no longer profitable, as the nearby Taghaza.