Teatime in Araouane, Mali
Araouane, Mali 2005
The headman’s son pours tea near the door to the sand filled front room of his home. Notice the height of the teapot as he pours the tea. Not only does this aerate the tea and enhance flavor, it demonstrates his skills as a host. He uses a charcoal brazier to heat the water for the tea that is brewed in a simple enameled pot.
The Touareg slaves, the Bella tribe, decorate these teapots with brass fittings or painted geometric designs. They are a collector’s item and I wish I had bought a bunch of them. I did buy one pot and I’ll photograph it and show you one day.
The front door to the home is made from a sheet of tin roofing. Usually there is a geometric design on the front door to ward off evil spirits.
An Echo of the Past
Oualata, Mauritania 2005
Oualata was once a main destination of the caravans of the Silk Road. It was a holy city with libraries housing Korans and other tomes filled with the latest knowledge. The merchants were rich and decorated their homes with this filigree look. It is reminiscent of the Moguls of Central Asia, India and really the entire Islamic world where painted reproductions of living creatures were forbidden.
“If only these goats could eat stones, they’d be fat as all get out!”
Mauritania, 2005
Men herd goats down the main ‘street’ of a small village in the Mauritanian Sahara. It does seem that there are a lot of men for such a simple job, but perhaps they have other plans for the goats. These desert villages are desolate, God-forsaken, places to us, but our guide, Ali, called this place his home and it was apparent that he loved it.
The men, Moors as they are called, wear a full, toga like gandoura. They shove the excess fabric up onto their shoulders to get it out of the way. Under the gandoura, they wear a just below the knee tunic. The tunic is belted by a long leather strap that hangs to the ankles.