Atouila

The desert north of Timbuktu is a broad expanse of sand and stony ground, broken by the occasional well and salt-bearing depression. Routes across this country linked the Niger valley with the Saharan mines of Taghaza and Taoudenni. Travellers depended on camels, guides and carefully carried water to make the long journey between settlements. Salt cut from the desert beds travelled south to the markets of the Niger, making these difficult passages part of a much wider network of exchange.