In Salah

Introducing In Salah

Built in the red Sudanese style, In Salah would be a very pleasant place to stay were it not for the problem that gives the town its name: salty water. The water is disgusting, so bring as much water with you as you can from Tamanrasset or El-Goléa. Even the local soft drinks are made from it and bottled water is often unavailable.

The most interesting feature of the town is the presence of a creeping sand dune on the western edge by the Aoulef road. Behind the mosque you can see how the dune is gradually encroaching on the town. From the top of the dune it becomes apparent that In Salah has actually been cut in two.

The dune moves at the rate of about 1m every five years. The amount of sand on the move actually remains fairly constant, so while it is swallowing up a building on its leading edge, it is uncovering one behind it which may have been under the sand for a generation or two. Once the ruins of a house have been uncovered, it is established who it used to belong to and then that person’s relatives rebuild the place and move in.

The view from the top of the dune is great at sunset. To the west of town along the Aoulef road is the palmeraie, with some 250, 000 trees. Formerly a trading town dealing in gold, ivory and slaves from the south in exchange for European goods from the north, the town’s major occupation is now date-growing.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009