Tuareg Warriors on their camels. The Tuaregs are Berber tribes and their territory covers West Sahara from Algeria, down to Mali. The cloth around their face is to protect them from the sand and flies when they ride, and during the sand storms.
Contrary to the rest of Islam the Tuareg Women do not cover their faces. They have much more freedom than the rest of Muslim women, and they can decide their own future. The society of Tuaregs is matrilinear. Relatively late comers to Islam, the Tuaregs kept a lot of their Berber traditions. Now they are semi-nomadic and are scattered in four countries in the Soutwest of the Sahara: Libya, Algeria, Mauritania and Mali. Their traditional garb is black tunics over black or white baggy trousers, with a white cloth round their heads and and face. A blue hooded cloack serves also as blanket during the cool nights. All their clothes used to be woven from camel and goat hair. They are fierce warriors and they used to be the bane of Caravans, competing with the Tibus for plunder. Their hospitality is proverbial.
I found these same pictures featured in five different sites on the Web. There was no other reference or copyright on them. If there is a copyright would the author please inform me with proof of ownership and I will either remove them or give credit as the case may be.
