Adrar des Ifoghas

The Adrar des Ifoghas is a sandstone massif in Mali's Kidal Region, having an area of about 250,000 km².

The area is characterized by wide, shallow valleys, and is strewn with piles of eroded granite blocks. The massif's valleys open to the Tamesna plain on the east, to the Telemsi fosse on the west, to the western basin of the Azaouak valley on the south, and to the Tanezrouft on the north. Cities of the area include Kidal, Aguel'hoc, Boughessa, Essouk, and Tessalit.

The Adrar des Ifoghas is known locally as "Adagh"; "Adrar" is the Berber word for mountain, while "Ifogha" is the name of an aristocratic Tuareg clan, "Kel Ifoghas," who have dominated the region for generations. Like most Tuareg, the Kel Ifoghas are nomadic, raising camels, goats, and sheep for sustenance and for sale.

The area is rich in archaeological remains, particularly rock drawings which depict men hunting, farming, and cattle-rearing ref|Velton; the skeleton of Asselar man was also found in the area by Théodore Monod. In recent years, the Adrar des Ifoghas has also become popular for treks.

Notes

# Velton 169.

References

*This article was begun from a translation from the corresponding French article, accessed 17 December 2005.
*Velton, Ross. "Mali: The Bradt Travel Guide." London: Bradt Publications, 2000.