Download - Trust for African Rock Art

Aïr Mountains, NigerThe Aïr Mountains rise in rugged and volcanic splendour high aboveone of the wildest and remotest areas of the Sahara. To their east liesthe Tenere Desert, an ancient watercourse 322 kilometres (200 miles)wide and visible from space. Here the Tuareg people live in isolation,herding their camels and goats. Millennia ago, their forager ancestorscarved some of the finest engravings on earth into the desert rocks:huge images of elephant, rhino, giraffe, lion and armed warriors, tellingof a greener world long vanished.54The magnificent ‘Dabous Giraffe’ are found here – two huge giraffeengraved on a sloping slab, the larger one measuring 5.4 metres (17.7feet) from hoof to horn. The engravings are probably between 6,000 to8,000 years old. TARA began working with the local Tuareg communityin 1998 through the Anigourane Rock Art Association, created tosafeguard and promote the rock art, and which was working with thecommunity to identify guides who would be custodians of the site. TARAworked with Anigourane, Niger officials and tour operators to improve the accessibility,create signage and promote responsible tourism to the site. Activities includedtraining custodian/guides, sinking a borehole for the custodians and community members,and arranging for the giraffe engravings to be moulded and displayed at the Mano DayakInternational airport at Agadez. These sites have benefited from a high number of visitors,which in turn has generated considerable income for the local community. When TARAChairman David Coulson visited the area after years of working together Sidi MohammedIlies, the president of Anigourane, he found a number of positivedevelopments.Top:Head and neckof life-size giraffeengravings inDabous, Niger;Below:CommunityboreholeUnfortunately, since 2007, the Aïr Mountains and their rock art havebecome a ‘no-go’ area due to the increase in domestic and politicaltension following the government’s decision to open more uraniummines in traditional Tuareg territory with minimal compensation orconsultation. The situation has devastated tourism in the region.More recently, the Prince Claus Fund in the Netherlands providedsupport to TARA to ensure security at the Dabous Rock Art Sitewhile the long-term situation is still uncertain.