Agadez Attractions & Activities - The Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
WARNING: Due to the ongoing Tuareg Rebellion in the region, Agadez is currently unsafe for travel. A permit is required to travel in northern Niger and unlikely to be granted for tourism. Persons trying to travel to the region HAVE BEEN ARRESTED trying to enter independently without a permit. Police have the authority to detain persons for more than 48 hours without cause. If traveling by bus, you will be forced to deboard the bus and will have to wait at a police checkpoint in the middle of the desert for hours until the bus in the opposite direction picks you up. See the US State Dept.'s Niger for info on obtaining a travel permit.
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Agadez is a historic city in Aïr region of Northern Niger. Founded in the 11th century, Agadez was an important stop for caravans crossing the Saharan Desert for centuries. Agadez was held by the Mali empire during part of the 14th century, captured by the Songhai empire in 1515, and controlled by Bornu in the 17th century. It remained a trade center until the late 19th century. During much of this time it was a center of Islamic learning and the seat of several sultanates before its capture by the French in 1900.
It is a center of Tuareg culture and likewise two Tuareg rebellions in recent years: 1990-1995 & 2007-present. The Tuareg people are the original Canaanites from the Bible. The meaning of Canaan is 'land of the purple people.' This unusual moniker is in reference to the bluish-purple vegetable dye the Tuareg use to color their clothing that subsequently rubs off onto their skin. The Tuareg are renowned for their metal and leather workings.The region around Agadez is known for its spectacular desert/mountain scenery. It is also the center of one of the largest uranium mining regions on Earth.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Agadez