Men in Blue

The Tuareg people or the “Men in Blue” .

Image by (Unknown)

Native inhabitants of the central Sahara. Divided between Algeria, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Mali, with the population majority being in Niger (due to their nomadic nature, statistics are yet to be satisfying).

Image by @mario_gerth_photography

They got that “Men in Blue” name because of their famous blue-dyed turbans (Tagelmusts) and clothing. Even though blue is not the only color they wear, but it’s the prefered color, and the most expensive, for that matter. You can find some very entertaining online tutorials on how to wrap a Tuareg turban or Tagelmust. You should try it sometime!

Image by @nadhir_mindfreak

According to Dr. Anja Fischer, a Cultural and Social Anthropologist, the term “Tuareg” is not used by the people themselves; it is an outside label. Instead, they use the name Imuhar, Imushar, or Imasheren (the name slightly changes as the region does).