In Pictures

The last salt miners of Morocco

The ancestral tradition of salt mining is on the verge of disappearing in the country.

01_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_14 – A miner since a very young age, Said Amalik, 40, works six days a week for a monthly wage of $200USD. — A miner since a very young age, Said Amalik, 40, works six days a week for a monthly wage of $200. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

In the heights of Morocco’s Atlas mountains, sit three villages that have been part of the country’s salt-mining history since the end of the 18th century.

Perched at 2,000 metres above sea level, Ait-Daoud, Ait-Lahcen and Toumliline are the only mining villages of Tinghir Province.

Armed with their traditional pickaxes, about 100 self-employed salt miners go down into the mine six days a week for an average monthly wage of about $200. Most of the miners are over 40 years old.

Without helmets or any other safety equipment, injuries are common, many caused by landslides or falls out of alcoves that hang about 10 metres from the bottom of the mine.

Mining, once a respected profession, has now become a job for those who are desperate, according to Lhoussain Barhou, a teacher at Ait-Daoud’s primary school.

The low remuneration and harsh working conditions mean mining is no longer attractive to the younger generation.

“Children refuse to become miners, it’s too hard,” Barhou tells Al Jazeera.

“With school and college available, children have less and less desire to go to the mine, and more and more choose to go to cities,” he says.

Isolated and hit by a 16.1 percent male rural unemployment rate, Tinghir is seeing its youth leave the region to try their luck elsewhere in Morocco.

Over the past 60 years, the rural exodus has hit Morocco hard, reducing the countryside’s inhabitants from 70 to 40 percent of the total population.

02_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_06 - United by a relation of mutual trust, the miner and his donkey travel a seven-kilometer ride every morning to reach the entrances of the mines. — Bound by a relation of mutual trust, the miner and his donkey travel seven kilometres every morning to reach the mines. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

06_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_12 – The first group of miners arrived at the mine at seven o’clock in the morning. Picking salty rocks up to the early hours of the afternoon, each mine — The first group of miners arrive at 7am. Picking rock salt up to the early hours of the afternoon, each miner collects 150 to 200kg a day. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

03_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_10 - Dug over the last decades by miners like Said Hevgouz, the mines remain untouched by modernization, and no commercial company has invested here. — Dug over past decades by miners like Said Hevgouz, the mines are untouched by modernisation, and no commercial company has invested here. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

04_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN — Using just the strength of his arm and a simple pickaxe tool, Hadou Hasmou labours hard every day. "I have worked at the bottom of the mine for forty years!" he brags. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

08_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_18 - At great risk to their lives, miners collect salty white and pink rocks, which are later ground into salt. Unlike sea salt, salt harvested in the mo — Miners work at great risk to their lives. They collect white and pink rock salt, which is later ground into salt. Unlike sea salt, mountain salt is crushed in mills and has a finer consistency and stronger flavour. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

05_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_20 - The miners’ pickaxes are modest, but robust. The pickaxe has a soft wooden handle and a pierced metal tip, made by the blacksmith of Aït Daoud. — The miners’ tools are modest but robust. The pickaxe, made by the blacksmith of Ait Daoud, has a softwood handle and pointed metal tip. Here one of the miners repairs his tool after the handle came loose in the middle of a shift. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

07_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_15 - "Being a miner is not a good job here in Morocco, you only earn 80 dirhams a day ($8.5USD)" said Asri Hadou. — 'Being a miner is not a good job here in Morocco, you only earn 80 dirhams [$8.50] a day,' said Asri Hadou. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

09_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_23 – The climate is harsh in the mountains of Tinghir Province, rising to 40 degrees in the summer and dropping to 0 in the winter (*). — The climate is harsh in the mountains of Tinghir, temperatures rising to 40C in the summer and dropping to 0C in the winter. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

10_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_25 - Working conditions are rudimentary for Hussain Binkou, who works barefoot six hours a day, before loading his donkey. — Hussain Binkou labours barefoot six hours a day before loading his donkey up to go home. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

11_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_09 - Salt mining has an impact on the environment, as it damages mountains, which are falling apart in many places. Under the ground, abandoned mines des — Salt mining hurts the environment, damaging the mountains and upsetting the ecosystems that rely on them. Abandoned mines honeycomb these mountains, descending dozens of metres into the earth. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

12_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_28 - Following a morning spent harvesting salt, Said Amalik returns to Aït-Daoud. Amalik’s donkey can support up to 200 kilograms of salt on its back. — After a morning of harvesting salt, Said Amalik returns to Ait-Daoud. Amalik’s donkey can carry up to 200kg of salt. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

13_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_01 - The village of Aït-Daoud is inhabited by 130 families from the nomadic Berber tribe of the Ait Hadiddou, who came from the Sahara to settle in the 1 — The village of Ait-Daoud is inhabited by 130 families from the nomadic Berber tribe of Ait Hadiddou. They settled here in the 17th century. Electricity arrived in 2007, the paved road in 2009, and mobile Internet last November. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

14_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_33 - Former miner Ali Ozaani, 68, survived a mining accident back in 2004. Working in the mine during heavy rains, the mountain collapsed, locking him up — Former miner Ali Ozaani, 68, survived a mining accident in 2004 while working in the mine during heavy rains. The mountain collapsed, trapping him in the mine for two days. "I knew right away that people from the villages would come to help me," said Ozaani. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

15_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_32 - Over the last decades, numerous miners have lost their lives, partly because the nearest hospital is too far - about sixty kilometers away - to prov — Over the past decades, many miners have lost their lives in mining accidents, partly because the nearest hospital is too far - about 60km - to provide timely help. The miners from Ait Daoud are buried in this cemetery, located on the heights of the village. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

16_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_36 - Aït-Daoud nursery school teaches 53 children. "Today, parents prefer that the children keep the herds or work in cities rather than working at the m — The Ait-Daoud nursery school has 53 children. 'Today, parents prefer that the children keep the herds or work in cities rather than working at the mine,' said Barhou, a primary school teacher. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

17_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_35 - But working away from the mines requires qualifications. Many young people will leave to study in cities, with no plan of ever returning to live in — But working away from the mines requires qualifications. Many young people will leave to study in the cities, with no plan of ever returning to live in the village from which they came. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

18_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_29 - Before being sold to the final consumers in the local markets, salty rocks are usually processed. In Toumliline, a mill pounds salty rocks into salt — Before being sold to consumers in the local markets, the rock salt is usually processed. In Toumliline, a mill pounds the rocks into salt that is ready for consumption. Miners are charged $0.02/kg for this service. At a market price of $0.11/kg, white salt is meant for human consumption, while pink salt is for animal consumption and sold at $0.06/kg. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

Hani, Mbark Oudja, 32, brought thirty kilograms of salty rocks to customers willing to pound it into salt by themselves. "Sometimes I can sell fifty kilograms per market, sometimes you don''t sell any — At the market in the nearby village of Ait Hani, Mbark Oudja, 32, brings 30kg of rock salt to customers willing to mill it themselves. 'Sometimes I can sell 50 kilograms per market, sometimes you don't sell anything at all, it really depends,' said Oudja. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

20_MOROCCO_SALT_MINING_SEBASTIAN_CASTELIER_PIC_50 - Fine white mountainous salt is used for culinary purposes. Her, it appears as table salt alongside a tajine, a North African traditional dish. (*) — Fine white mountain salt is used for cooking. Here, it appears at the table alongside a tajine, a traditional North African traditional dish. [Sebastian Castelier/Al Jazeera]

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The last salt miners of Morocco

The ancestral tradition of salt mining is on the verge of disappearing in the country.