Sea of Sand

South of Zagora the road continues to Mohammed. Generally the tourists do not go that far but there are numerous trips from Zagora to around Tinfou to see the "sea of sand" which is what we think of as the true Sahara.

First the road passes throughTamegroute where we stopped to see the library. I did not know it at the time but the library forms part of a renowned zaouia founded in the 17C by Abou Abdullah Mohammed Naciri whose sufi brotherhood maintain it to this day. It is very influential in the Draa , traditionally being a source of dispute resolution between caravanniers. The zaouia ministers to the poor and in fact maintains a group of people suffering from mental disorders and learning disabilites. They are nursed by the routine and thinking on a particular sura of the koran or a sufi teaching story rather than being given drugs and the only income to sustain them comes from donations so remember this if you view the library. The custodian there will show you the books for a donation. There are still several thousand although many have been dispersed to other religous foundations. The books are extremely old and are valuable for their religous content, including many ealy commentaries on the Qu'ran and histories of Islam made as early as the 11C. There are also works on astronomy, herbals and a 15C street-map of Alexandria. Islamic scholars travel from all over the world to read them. The books are handwritten mostly on gazelle skin - British Library eat your heart out.

Tamegroute also has a small pottery producing characteristic green-glazed ware which it is developing with the increased tourist  interest.

About another 15km south you come to Tinfou which is where the sandunes start. There are numerous tours from Zagora both by 4x4 and camel taking you into the dunes and to camp (somewhat luxuriously) under the stars in the desert. In fact if you park by the road in near Tinfou and climb the dune you can see one of the camps beneath you. Presumably the tour approaches by a much more circuitous route to enhance the feeling of isolation whilst of course supplies can be brought in relatively easily from the road.

This is still a launch-point fro trade and smuggling into Mauretania through the supposedly closed borders and given the situation in the Western Sahara and parts of Mali it is to be supposed that the occasional arms deal follows the caravanserai route. Plus ca change....