The Salt of Africa |
![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/fathyma-mf9535.jpg) Ahmedela, Lake Asale. Young Afar Fathyma invites you to join caravans which have brought salt to all Ethiopia since millennia. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9540.jpg) Hundreds of caravans have come together at Ahmedela, and during the night have been assigned a slot by "Shumbahri" (the Chief). | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9547.jpg) At dawn, literally thousands of camels leave Ahmedela, all in their assigned order, and head towards the center of Lake Asale. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9465.jpg) Let's follow the caravans in this alien, hot and desolate desert of salt, seemingly endless Lake Asale, precious property of Afar warriors. |
![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-extraction-mf9596.jpg) On the bottom of the local social scale are the "Focolo", the "salt lifters": they are poor immigrants from Tigray and have left Ahmedela as early as 3am. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-extraction-mf9594.jpg) After having cut into the salt crust using axes, large salt blocks are taken from the ground and prepared for shaping by "Hadali Mera" workers. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-extraction-mf9557.jpg) Only the "Hadali Mera", who are always Afar people, can prepare salt blocks weighing precisely 7 kilograms. They are at work since dawn. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-extraction-mf9571.jpg) One block of salt is the unit of currency in the salt businnes: each camel will carry 20 blocks to Mekele, trading centre of the highland. |
![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-extraction-mf9589.jpg) In the midddle of the morning the caravans reach the centre of Lake Asale. The camels are exhausted and, remarkably, recover some energy by chewing on salt. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-extraction-mf9602.jpg) "Arho" workers, the cameliers, start to load each camels with the exact same amount of salt, later to be charged a tax. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9526.jpg) At noon, in temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius, the caravans start the long trip back to Ahmedela, disappearing into a distant mirage. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9531.jpg) But even in such a hellish environment, "Arho" workers seem happy: "Now I'm rich: count my camels, you will know what a treasure I am bringing home!" |
![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9444.jpg) Sunset at Ahmedela - but the salt caravans move on and will travel all night from 100m below sea level up to Mekele, at 2300 metres above. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9451.jpg) But curiosity to talk with visitors wins for "Arho": this Afar will lead his caravan only to the limit of the Afar country, at Berahile. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9461.jpg) While our caravans are leaving in the sun's direction (left), others are coming towards us, repeating the work night and day, year after year. | ![The Salt of Africa The Salt of Africa](salt-caravan/icons/salt-caravan-mf9434.jpg) We bid a last farewell to Mohammed, the Afar with his great green eyes. |
Photos by Marco Fulle, taken with 10.5mm and 16mm fisheye lenses and digital single lens reflex camera. |