The Tuareg people, also spelled Twareg or Touareg are a Berber people who traditionally live in the Sahara. They are best known as a nomadic desert people and are often referred to as the ‘blue men of the desert’ because many Tuareg men wear indigo-dyed clothing and face veils (tagelmust, up to 10 m long) that stain the skin.
The Tuareg speak Tamasheq, a Berber language that belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. They use their own script called Tifinagh, a very old script with roots dating back to antiquity.
Despite a patriarchal social structure, women play a prominent role among the Tuareg. Property and ancestry are often passed down through the maternal line. Women enjoy a relatively high degree of freedom and play an important role in culture, education and decision-making.
Traditional culture also includes jewellery making, silversmithing and leatherwork.
