Araouane

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Araouane
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pushpin_map_caption =Location in Mali
subdivision_type = Country
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subdivision_name1 = Tombouctou Region
subdivision_type2 = Cercle (district):
subdivision_name2 = Essouk
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latd=18 |latm=54.3 |latNS=N
longd=3 |longm=31.7 |longEW=W
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Araouane or Arawan is a village in the Malian Sahara in eastern Mali, lying 270 km north of Timbuktu on the road to Taoudenni. It is a former oasis and is still a station on trans-Saharan trade routes. Formerly known for its scholars, particularly Ahmad Baba al Massufi, who was born there, it has declined in recent centuries. Its mosque is now buried in sand to its minaret. Restoration of the town began in the early 1990s, but was severely disrupted by the Tuareg Rebellion.

In early 1990, the town was surrounded by a 3/4 circle of sand dunes, about 20 m high. The sand was falling from these dunes continuously, slowly burying the town. There were no houses to be seen within the circle, only rooftops could be seen. People living in Araoune were actually living underground, stepping into their houses as one would step into a cellar.Fact|date=July 2007

Author and adventurer Ernst Aebi invested a significant amount of money and time into the project of regenerating this village. An account of his time there is recorded in his book "Seasons of Sand".

Local NGO "Araouane Action" and the Italian multicultural association "Les Cultures" are active in the village.

References