Pumpkin harvest in Negana near Bla, a town in the south of Mali. The town is an important trans-shipment point for the north-eastern towns of Mopti and Gao, as well as for Sikasso to the south and exports to Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire. - Mali - 1969

These unique houses with the baobab tree in the background can be found in the small village of Somo, which lies between Bamako and Ségou. - Mali - 1969

The baobab is one of the best known and most characteristic trees of tropical Africa. It is characterised by a relatively short, extremely thick trunk, which can reach a diameter of more than 10 m. The tree can grow up to 800 years old. - Cattle seek the shade of the tree - Mansara - Mali - 1969

Sunset over the Niger River near Kabara, Mali. A 13-kilometre-long artificial canal connected Kabara with Timbuktu since the 17th century. The canal was used by pirogues and sailing ships. It served to transport people and goods and connected Timbuktu with the Niger. This canal dried up again and again in modern times and is now silted up and only visible as a ditch in some places. - Mali - 1969

A herd of dromedaries refreshes itself in the Niger River - Kabara - Mali - 1969

Pier of the pirogues on the river Niger - Kabara - Mali - 1969

This Moor waits for a job in the port of Kabara. - Mali - 1969

Silver and leather working is an important craft. The sword scabbard of a takouba is made here. - Kabara - Mali - 1969

The blacksmith, the malem, is the master of fire. He makes the silver jewellery, the weapons, the camel harnesses. Here the malem pulls a takuba out of the scabbard. The blacksmiths form a caste of their own. They are despised and at the same time feared by sedentary and nomadic people. –Kabara – Mali – 1969

A basket trader advertises her wares. - Port of Kabara - Mali - 1969

The dromedary is a common domestic animal throughout North Africa. The southern limit of distribution is in the Sahel zone from Senegal to Sudan at about 13-15 degrees north latitude. - Kabara - Mali - 1969

Built in 1581, the Sankóre Mosque in Timbuktu has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. It is a courtyard mosque. This lies as an inner courtyard in the centre of the complex. The minaret is located on the south side. Clay, which was specifically shaped, served as the building material. - Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

The climate in Timbuktu is desert-like, there is always a hot, dry wind (harmattan) blowing from the Sahara. - Traders sell their wares at a market in Timbuktu. - Mali - 1969

The city of Timbuktu is located about 12 kilometres north of the Niger River, which flows past in a large arc from the Massina region in a south-westerly direction. - Selling ceramics at a market in Timbuktu. - Mali - 1969

There are different interpretations of the name Timbuktu: "well of Buktu", "the far well" or "place in the dunes". - Drawing water at a well in the surroundings of Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

A little girl crushes salt - Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

The artisan needs a lot of patience when making straw jewellery. - Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

A visit to a hairdresser is not only for a shave, but also for a long chat. - Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

Clay Mosque near Timbuktu - Mali - 1969

A fisherman with his pirogue on the Niger River in the Mopti area. - Mali - 1969

Near Mopti - Boats on the Niger River - Mali - 1969

A young water carrier in the Mopti area - Mali - 1969

The port of Mopti on the Niger River. Mopti is particularly characterised by trade and crafts. The city is a trading centre for fish, cattle and grain. Important crafts are weaving, iron and leather processing, pottery and boat building (pinasses up to 50 tons). - Mali - 1969

The balafon is widespread in West Africa, especially in Guinea and Mali. It consists of wooden bars and calabashes - hollow gourds that serve as resonators. Two or three finger-thick holes are drilled into the sides of the calabashes, over which spider webs or bat wings are glued. The bars and their resonators are held together by a frame of split bamboo and strips of goatskin. Today's balaphones vary considerably in size, number of bars (between 12 and 23) and tuning. The range is usually two and a half to three and a half octaves. - Mopti - Mali - 1969

In Mopti, the inhabitants are ethnically heterogeneous. A high percentage are Fula. There are also Marka, Bambara, Bozo, Bobo and, in splinter groups, Mossi. - Mopti - 1969

Preparing the weaving threads - Mopti region - Mali - 1969

A Fula woman adorned with rich jewelry from Boré, located in the Mopti area. - Mali - 1969

A young girl from the Gourma region, Mali, offers milk in a calabash. The nomads have not adopted pottery, which is too fragile for transport purposes. However, they know how to boil liquids in a simple skin bag stretched over a wooden hoop by throwing heated stones into it. The consistency of the forms from prehistoric times to the present day is admirable. - Mali - 1969

These girls are a splendid example of the Fula tribe found between Douentza and Hombori in Mali. The graceful harmony of the fine features, illuminated by an intelligent smile, is remarkable. The Fulbe belong to the large family of the Peul. - Mali - 1969

This girl is a splendid example of the Fulbe tribe found between Douentza and Hombori in Mali. The graceful harmony of the fine features, illuminated by an intelligent smile, are remarkable. The Fulbe belong to the large family of the Peul. - Mali - 1969

Young girl from the town of Hombori, which lies between Mopti and Gao on the edge of the Hombori-Tondo table mountain. This area is inhabited by the Gurma tribe. - Mali - 1969

Young woman from the town of Hombori, which lies between Mopti and Gao on the edge of the Hombori-Tondo table mountain. This area is inhabited by the Gurma tribe. - Mali - 1969

The Hand of Fatima is the name of a rock massif in Mali near Hombori on the road from Mopti to Gao. The rock needles made of sandstone are named according to the symbol of the Hand of Fatima, which serves as a defensive charm in Islamic folklore. They are a popular destination for mountaineers. - Mali - 1969

A transport boat on the Niger River near Gao - Mali - 1969

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