Agadez (Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, Agadaz), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of the eponymous Agadez Region, the city lies in the Sahara desert, and is also the capital of Aïr, one of the traditional Tuareg–Berber federations. The historic centre of the town has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

History

Agadez was founded before the 14th century, and, by growing around trans-Saharan trade, gradually became the most important city of the Tuareg people, supplanting Assodé. The city still sees the arrival of caravans bringing salt from Bilma. In 1449 Agadez became a sultanate, but was later conquered by the Songhai Empire in 1515, remaining a part of that empire until 1591. At this point, the city had a population of around 30,000 people. By then, the city was a key passage for the medieval caravans trading between the West African cities of Kano (the source of the Hausa language which is the traditional lingua franca of different ethnic groups in the city, especially in the area of trade, religion and administration) and Timbuktu, and the North African oases of Ghat, Ghadames, and Tripoli, on the Mediterranean shore. Internal fighting led to the gradual decline of the sultanate, and by the mid-19th century the town was a shadow of its former self. Some contend that Agadez was the furthermost extent of the Ottoman Empire on the African continent until the 19th century, before being occupied by the French colonial empire, though this claim has not been verified by historians. The city was ruled by the French from 1906. A rebellion by Kaocen Ag Mohammed occurred in 1916, but was defeated by French forces. The French, unable to effectively administer this remote region, ruled semi-indirectly via a restored sultan. Later, Agadez became an important location in the Tuareg Rebellion of the 1990s in central and northern Niger.

2007 violence

As a result of the Second Tuareg Rebellion, sporadic violence and the displacement of thousands of people affected the Agadez area from late 2007 into 2009. All of northern Niger was placed on the United States State Department list of areas which are unsafe for travel by United States citizens, covering late 2007 to the end of 2008. Tourist flights to Agadez were suspended by European airlines for the 2007–2008 tourist season (September – March). The burgeoning tourist industry, which prior to 2007 had surpassed that of Niamey and the rest of the nation, essentially came to an end. The entire region was placed under a Nigerien government State of Exception (limiting travel, gatherings, political activities, etc.) in October 2007, renewed through early 2009. Roads to and from Agadez were reported to have been mined, and the government closed the area to international journalists and aid organizations. An unknown number (reported as several thousands) of internally displaced people converged on the city as a result of the unrest.

Emigration towards Europe

In the 2010s, Agadez became a major transit town for West African migrants heading to Libya and then on to Europe, since Agadez is the final stop before passing through the long trek across the Sahara towards the Libyan coast. Crackdowns in 2016 slowed the flow of migrants, but recent Displacement Tracking Matrix data showed a daily average of 1,212 individuals crossing at six monitored points in Niger, many of whom would have been coming through Agadez. The city now hosts hundreds of migrants living in small houses on the outskirts of the city before moving on to Libya.

Demographics

Culture and tourism

Today, Agadez flourishes as a market town and as a centre for the transportation of the uranium mined in the surrounding area. Notable buildings in the city include the Agadez Grand Mosque (originally dating from 1515 but rebuilt in the same style in 1844), the Kaocen Palace (now a hotel), and the Agadez Sultan's Palace. The city is also known for its camel market and its silver and leatherwork. Some well-known musicians from the town include Tuareg guitar player Bombino and his band Group Bombino, and Group Inerane. Mdou Moctar's film, Akounak Teggdalit Taha Tazoughai, is set and filmed on location in Agadez.

Airport and military usage

Agadez's air transport hub, Mano Dayak International Airport, was named after Mano Dayak, the Tuareg leader who is native to the region. The United States built Nigerien Air Base 201, a dedicated drone airbase in Agadez from which it can more easily monitor terrorist activities in West and North Africa, and the Sahel. It was revealed in 2016 that the military base in Niger cost the U.S. $100 million.

Air pollution

Air pollution, including particulate matter and dust, poses significant health risks due to their microscopic size and potential inhalation into the deepest parts of the lung.

Climate

Agadez has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh).

Neighborhoods

Géographie

Agadez est située à 900 kilomètres au nord de Niamey, au sud du Massif de l'Aïr, vers l'embouchure de la plaine de l'Ighazer. C'est le chef lieu d'une région qui fait une fois et demie la France, soit 615.000 km². Le territoire communal est traversé par deux cours d'eau à caractère temporaire (le kori irgazer madaran et le kori Teloua).

Histoire

Fondée au sur un lieu stratégique : au croisement des principales routes transsahariennes, son économie s'est développée grâce au commerce caravanier essentiellement à partir du. C'est à cette époque qu'elle aurait supplanté l'ancienne capitale de l'Aïr : Assodé, détruite par des guerres tribales et qu'elle aurait connu son heure de gloire. Léon l'Africain dans le septième livre de sa Description de l'Afrique la décrit ainsi: "cité ceinte de murailles", "les maisons sont fort bien bâties", "somptueux palais". Agadez garde les vestiges de ses murailles jusque dans les années 1960. En 1850, Heinrich Barth, célèbre explorateur allemand découvre une ville en ruines. Il y reste un mois mais l'on peut encore aujourd'hui visiter, dans la vieille ville, la maison en banco dans laquelle il a séjourné. Au début des années 1970 et 1980, de graves sécheresses ont contraint de nombreux nomades a quitter la brousse pour venir trouver refuge en ville. Agadez a alors accueilli ces nouveaux venus de l'exode rurale, ce qui a causé des problèmes de logement, d'assainissement et de distribution d'eau. Elle compte aujourd'hui 100 000 habitants (haoussas, touaregs, peuhls, songhaïs, kanouris, arabes) et de nombreux migrants clandestins qui ne sont pas recensés. Agadez est très connue pour ses mosquées. On compte aujourd'hui quatre mosquées du Vendredi et 79 mosquées de quartier. La plus connue d'entre elle est la grande mosquée datant du XVIe siècle et dont la construction est attribuée à Zakarya. (voir photo)

Économie

Agadez bénéficie dans une certaine mesure des bénéfices tirés des mines d'uranium de sa région à Arlit et Akokan. Lors de la saison touristique, du mois d'octobre au mois de février, la ville connaît une certaine effervescence avec l'arrivée de nombreux touristes arrivant en vols charters internationaux directement à l'aéroport Mano Dayak et venant visiter l'Aïr et le Ténéré. L'artisanat tient une place importante au sein de l'économie. Les forgerons (inadan) fabriquent des bijoux en argent (croix d'Agadez), des épées (takoubas), des objets en bois (lits, cuillères), des selles ornées, tandis que leurs femmes s'occupent de tous les objets en cuir (sandales). Ils sont regroupés en coopératives et pratiquent un artisanat de qualité. -->