The Djado Plateau lies in the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

, in northeastern

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagescave art In archaeology, Cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin, and the oldest known are more than 40,000 ye ...

(often of large

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s long since absent from the area), but is now largely uninhabited, with abandoned towns and

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

s still standing and visible. As of 2011, the commune of Djado had a total population of 1,495 people.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Tentative List on May 26, 2006, in the Cultural category due to its universal cultural significance.

Djado City

The ruined city and

ksar Ksar or qsar (Maghrebi Arabic: wiktionary:قصر, قصر ''qṣer'' or ڭصر ''gser'', plural ''qṣur''; Berber language, Berber: ⵉⴴⵔⵎ ''aghrem'' or ''ighrem'', plural: ''igherman''), plural ksars, qsars, ksour or qsour, is the Nor ...

of Djado lies on the southern end of the plateau at of elevation within a small oasis of brackish water. Long ago abandoned by the

Kanuri people The Kanuri people (Kanouri, Kanowri, also Yerwa, Baribari and several subgroup names) are an List of ethnic groups of Africa, African ethnic group living largely in the lands of the former Kanem Empire, Kanem and Bornu Empires in Niger, Nigeria ...

who may have been the original founders. Before the abandonment of Djado city, the area was well known for its salt and date production. Now, the salt mines in Djado are rarely used, however there are date palms of the area that are tended by

Toubou The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya and northeastern Niger. They live either as herders and nomads or as ...

nomads

References

External links

Plateau et Fortin du Djado - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Plateaus of Africa Landforms of Niger Tuareg Communes of Niger Former populated places in Niger Sahara {{Niger-geo-stub

World Heritage Status

Djado City

See also

References

External links