Trip to Niger ► Gerewol Festival, tribes and architecture

23 Sep. - 2 Oct. 2024 (10 d. / 8 n.) / TRIP COMPLETED

Trip to Niger specially designed to experience the Gerewol Festival, organized by the Wodaabe nomadic shepherd tribe. The Gerewol is a courtship ceremony that consists of a kind of beauty contest. Its participants are the young Wodaabe, whose objective is to attract the attention of the unmarried girls of the clan in order to be chosen as a couple.

During this trip to Niger, we will meet other ethnic groups from the Sahel and the Niger Desert, such as the Tuareg, the Zerma, the Hausa and other Fulani subgroups. We will enrich this experience by exploring the winding streets of Agadez, Yaama and Dosso. These historic cities preserve numerous examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture, which will take us back to Africa's medieval past. In addition, we will visit Tahoua, where the largest adobe barns in Africa are located, which are true works of vernacular art.

Download the itinerary for this trip to Niger to live the Gerewol Festival

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The guide on this trip to Niger will be Ingetje Tadros, ethno-photographer, expert in Sahel tribes.

Discover the highlights of this trip to Niger to experience the Gerewol Festival

► Gerewol Festival of the Wodaabe

During this trip to Niger, we will have the opportunity to spend two days with the Wodaabe as they celebrate the Gerewol Festival. Every year, the Woodabe nomads and their herds settle near the town of Abalak to perform the Gerewol. The main objective of the ceremony is for young people to find a partner. In this great meeting of Woodabes clans, alliances, links and dowries are also agreed upon. Other ethnic groups, such as the Tuareg, sedentary Fulani and Hausa, take advantage of the occasion to come to trade. The boys prepare for Gerewol with a careful makeup session. They use natural pigments in order to enhance the whiteness of your teeth and eyes. In addition, they wear the traditional cowry ornaments, colored fabrics and ostrich feathers. The young people dance with slow movements, accompanied by verses and grimaces. They are in a trance state due to the consumption of natural stimulants. The Wodaabe's Gerewol Festival is definitely one of the most evocative traditional events in all of Africa. At all times, the local guide will take us to where the dances, ceremonies, meetings of the elderly, and songs are taking place. From his hand, we will learn the meaning of each of the actions that we will witness. Each one of us will find his space and place in this great tribal meeting. Let’s enjoy this unique culture of the African savanna. Living art in its purest form.

► We will admire beautiful examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture

On this trip to Niger, we will also tour the streets of historic cities such as Agadez, Tahoua, Yaama and Dosso. There, we will find beautiful palaces and mosques of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. It is characterized by being made from adobe. Additionally, we will visit the historic Hausa village of Yaama. Walking through its streets, we will discover excellent examples of Sudano-Sahelian architecture. The most prominent building in the city is the main mosque, an Agha Khan award winner for Islamic architecture.

► We will meet different tribes of the Sahel

Throughout the trip to Niger, we will meet different ethnic groups from the Sahel and Niger Desert, such as the Zerma, the Hausa and other Fulani groups. In Agadez, we will have the opportunity to chat with some Tuareg, the dominant ethnic group in this part of Niger. It is a Berber-speaking ethnic group that controlled regional trade until the beginning of the 20th century. The Tuareg are fighting to preserve their distinctive elements and gain influence in the Niamey parliament. Our local guide will help us get closer and understand its reality. In addition, we will visit the Agadez livestock market, where Tuareg, Fulani and Hausa meet here to trade and socialize.

► We will observe the last white giraffes in Kouré

We will finish the trip to Niger by going on a safari through Kouré to observe these beautiful ungulates. It is a sanctuary for the last 'white' giraffes of the African Sahel.