Dabous Giraffes

On a sandstone outcrop in the western Aïr two giraffes are carved into the rock, the larger over five metres tall, cut with a precision and confidence that puts them among the finest engravings anywhere in the Sahara. They were made perhaps eight thousand years ago when this was grassland with standing water. Lines run from the muzzles to small human figures below. The site lies west of the Aïr and Ténéré World Heritage property, outside its boundary.

Background

The carvings sit on a sandstone outcrop in the foothills of the Aïr, some 110 km north of Agadez and a few kilometres off the Trans-Saharan Highway. One giraffe is male and the smaller one female, and no larger engravings of animals are known anywhere. The rocks around them hold 828 engraved images: 704 animals, from cattle and ostriches to lions, rhinoceros and camels, 61 human figures and 17 inscriptions in Tifinâgh. Christian Dupuy first recorded the giraffes in 1987, and David Coulson documented them in 1997. Because people were damaging the engravings, a mould was taken, and an aluminium cast of it is on show at Agadez airport.

Source: Wikipedia, "Dabous Giraffes"

What's there

• The larger giraffe - over five metres, cut with exceptional precision.
• The paired figures - two animals worked on the same rock face.
• The lead lines - marks running from the muzzles to small human figures.
• The green Sahara - evidence of the grassland period the carving belongs to.

When to go

November to February is the cool season. Low sun in early morning or late afternoon shows the carving best. Summer heat is extreme with no shade.

Good to know

Access needs a guide, permit and four wheel drive arranged in Agadez. The engravings have been damaged by casts taken and by visitors, and the site is fragile. There are no facilities of any kind.

Nearby

Tafadek is north, and Agadez is south.

Key facts