THE TUAREG TENT AND THE WORLD OF AFRICAN NOMADS

A tent made of superimposed woven mats in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The colors come from the various natural fibers andare indicative of different social and family affilitions.


The nomadic Tuareg culture, known for its fiercely independent nature, calls the vast area of the southern Sahara home. In the midst of all the constant movement with flocks and camels, instead of producing masks or figures, the Tuareg culture creates an impressive world of beautiful, functional, and abstract objects. The dominant materials are leather, wood, and metal, whichare transformed into clothing, tools, funiture, and homes, Tanned hid, the most common material, is made into sandals, travel bags, milk and food containers, and is one of the many raw materials used in tents.



A strutural detail of a long tent in Niamey. In this case the posts are on the outside, forming a portico, freeing up the interior space and emphasizing the qualities of its structure.



An interior of a Tuareg tent covered by woven palm mats at the site of the ancient sultanate of air in south central Africa. resting in the interior is the large wooden bed, common in the Tuareg culture.

In the Tuareg culture, as in the Gabra culture of northern Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, the word tent (mina or mana) is associated with the concept of marriage (mini fuda) and the setting up of a new household. A marriage celebration consists of a ritual in which the community creates mterials for the construction of a new house. Traditionally, the women own the tents, and are in charge of building and maintaining them. The woman's important role in the society, as preserer

of the oral tradition and as educator, is reflected inside the tent. The interior space, which can be 10 by 16 feet, is divided by central pole or poles; the woman's space is in the western half, where the bed is located. Cultural, social, and family customs are clearly reflected, not just in the distribution of space in the tents, but also in their interior and decoration, via color choices and detailed drawings.