Pride is a great sin in Christianity. But the Tuareg is not aware of this postulate, as well as humility and humility. For 2 thousand years this people has known no boundaries or prohibitions. The Tuareg tribes, like many centuries ago, wander around the desert. They practically have no property - a camel and a tent. However, the world of the nomad will collapse if at least one is taken away. This people is known for being the only one in the world whose tradition tells men to cover their faces, not women.
Free people
Tuareg tribes call themselves "imoshagami", which means "free people." For them, the desert remains the only owner. The proud tribe did not submit to any invader. Even the colonialists from Europe, who subjugated almost the whole of Africa, could not pacify the small nomadic people. They did not even manage to agree with him. Europeans were afraid of representatives of this people. The Tuareg tribes appeared "out of nowhere", suddenly attacked travelers, killed and robbed them. They controlled all the trade routes leading through the desert.
Relation to gold
Once the Tuareg tribes drove caravans with expensive goods - salt and gold. Merchants only trusted them with such value, since only a madman decided to attack a nomad. The Tuaregs were famous for their militancy and dexterity, as well as their weapons. There was another reason merchants trusted them. The fact is that this people did not touch gold. According to the beliefs of the Tuaregs, it carries only disease and evil, so the steps they made all the jewelry (and still do) are made only of silver.
Blue people
For centuries, representatives of this nation have dyed their clothes blue. To do this, they drove into a fabric dye, ground into powder, using stones. Therefore, the Tuaregs began to be called "blue people." By the way, representatives of this people are not so few. According to the latest census, there are more than two million people.
Tuaregs are believed to be descendants of the Zenaga Berbers (a European race that partially mixed with the Arab and African populations of Africa). Many representatives of the people we are interested in are fair-skinned, blue-eyed, tall, with slightly wavy hair. These are the appearance traits typical of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean.
Class division
And today, the Tuareg society is divided into estates. Higher nomads today include warriors and marabut priests. To the lower - artisans-bella, servants, as well as half-breeds who have lost the right to the name "imoshag" and are called "dag". Among the Tuaregs, even 1.5 centuries ago, one could meet the goat-security impgad and the camel-ahkhagarov. These "professions" only seem peaceful. In fact, the goats and camels were desperate thugs, as well as the most respected members of society. The inden blacksmiths occupied a lower rung. Tribesmen considered them almost sorcerers. Also at the lower level were simple farmers. The most despicable class of this people is the black slave-iklan. Both lower and higher nomads pushed them.
Each tribe had an amgar leader. The tribal union was tejhe - a federation led by amenukal (supreme ruler). Today, Tuaregs are united only in extreme cases. They try not to depend on anyone.
Desert living conditions
Only nomads and navigational instruments know how to navigate in the endless sands. Dunes change their shape with unprecedented speed, and the eye simply has nothing to cling to.
For a long time, the Tuareg tribes, whose history dates back 2 thousand years, have been forced to survive in the desert. This people calls the desert "Assahara." For him, this is a living creature, an integral mechanism with which we must be able to get along and agree. The Sahara desert actually consists of sand only 1/5. Everything else is an amazing form of hollows and hills, stone plateaus, rare oases and dry riverbeds. In the Sahara, the air warms up to 60 degrees in the summer, and at night it can cool to zero. Sometimes at dawn even frosts occur - the temperature drops to -20 degrees, and the dunes at this time are covered with ice crust.
Only camels and nomads hardened by the desert can exist in such a climate. Only they can survive the monstrous summits that arise suddenly and are comparable in strength to the ocean tsunami. Only they can notice the horned viper and not step on it. This is very important, because its poison instantly kills a person. Only Tuaregs survive almost without water under the scorching sun, contrary to all laws of biology. They remove thirst attacks by sucking a pebble.
Home
As in the old days, a camel-skin roof and a wooden frame every 3 months turn into a fortress, which appears every time in a new place. Only the nomad himself knows where he will put his tent next time. The main thing is that the well is nearby, and the desert is around. And nearby are scorpions, snakes and a sandy wind that sweeps everything in its path.
The holy place of the Tuareg
Under the Sahara, it is believed that there is a whole fresh ocean, the water reserves of which are estimated at 1 billion liters. However, it comes to the surface very rarely. And making wells in the sand is not an easy task, even when using modern technology. Hundreds of centuries ago, the Tuaregs had to rely only on the mercy of fate. They cherished every well, which for them is a holy place, like the apple of an eye. And nowadays, all the wells are carefully covered and very well-groomed. The one who intentionally or unknowingly treated them without due respect, the nomads executed on the spot. Nowadays, their morals are not much softer - like many years ago, the Tuaregs live according to their ancient customs and laws. Not only among us, but also among representatives of the Arab world , the traditions followed by the Tuareg tribes are surprising.
Language and Writing
The Tuaregs traveled a lot around Africa, but they preserved the purity of blood. Until now, there is no black face among them. For centuries, the language of the Tuareg has remained unchanged. This people speaks Berber, however, so that this language is hardly understood by other peoples of Arab Africa. And their writing - typhinang - have the Tuareg tribes. Their culture, however, involves learning to write only women. By the way, this people treats them with great respect.
Attitude towards women
The weaker sex, contrary to all the laws of Islam, assigns an atypical role to the Tuareg tribe. Women are the main ones in the family. Tuaregs have a maternal lineage. Despite the fact that they are faithful Muslims, they do not have polygamy. The Tuareg house belongs to the woman by whose name he is called. However, a man is required to support him, like other household members.
A woman chooses her husband herself, and if he did not arrange it for some reason, then she can become the initiator of a divorce. In this case, the ex-husband unquestioningly leaves the house. By the way, the women and men of the nomads are quietly friends, not afraid of gossip.
Division of labor
Tuaregs do not have a division of labor by gender. A woman, for example, can take a sword if the situation requires it. Even the democratic countries of Europe do not know such equality, let alone the Arab states located in the neighborhood. However, desert laws in cities no longer apply, as Islam is strongly influenced here. But this did not in the least diminish respect for the woman.
The burqa of the Tuaregs
As we already said, wearing a burqa by men is a custom that only the Tuareg tribe has. Photos of men in her look unusual, do not they? You might think that they want to protect their beauty from the temptresses. However, it is not. The fact is that the Tuaregs are afraid of evil spirits. They believe that evil spirits can climb into a person through their eyes, ears or nose, so they cover these places. The veil worn by the Tuaregs is called tagelma. He is worn by a young man on the day he reaches his 18th birthday. It is from this age that he becomes a real warrior. Appearing without a blindfold in public is considered among these people the height of indecency. This is tantamount to appearing naked. Tuaregs do not remove the bandage even at home, while sleeping or eating.
The militancy of the Tuaregs
These people are distinguished by great militancy. More precisely, this applies to those who consider themselves true and step. They live in the desert and take the machine in their hands earlier than a spoon. Tuareg warriors, as it is believed, are not very many (about 10-20 thousand). However, they can, if not defeat, then scare even the best modern army.
That's how the Tuareg tribes live. Their customs remain unchanged, causing surprise and interest among representatives of modern civilization.