The precious salt is, hence, extracted from clay.
Photo credit: George Steinmetz
The region has about 20 springs whose water is itself quite briny.
However, its the clay from where salt is extracted.
A man then stomps the mixture with his feet to create a thick slurry.
The briny mix is then left to settle for several hours.
Algae grows in some of the ponds and also colors the water.
The ponds also change hue and tone as the suns burning rays shift their angle of reflection.
Meanwhile, children scamper about among the smaller ponds monitoring the drying process.
As the water evaporates from the ponds, crystals form on the surface.
If left unchecked, this salty crust would block further evaporation.
Evaporation continues until finally only the precious salt remains.
The extracted salt is then shaped into blocks or cakes and dried in the sun.
Photo credit
Photo credit: Google Maps
Sources:Salt Seekers of the Sahara/Wikipedia
