Considered the “gateway to the desert,” the city of Agadez, on the southeastern fringes of the Sahara Desert, dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Its Grand Mosque has the tallest minaret ever made of adobe, a clay mixed with water and other components.
In the sandy streets, under the azure sky,
The Agadez mosque proudly stands,
Silent witness to past history,
In its shadow, time seems to stop
The courtyard of the sultanate, a gathering place,
Where the voices, the songs of the living resonate,
Under the date palms, symbols of resilience,
In this fiery desert, symphony of excellence
The cleanliness of the place, a tribute to the faith,
Every polished stone, every corner, a path,
Towards inner peace, towards serenity,
In the sacred precinct, where the soul is liberated
After the rain, softness envelops the city,
The sparkling streets, the dust erased,
Agadez awakens, in a new light,
In the brightness of the sun, in the freshness of the return.
Ahmed Atafa