What is "taghaza"

Taghaza (also Teghaza) is an abandoned salt-mining centre located in a salt pan in the desert region of northern Mali. It was an important source of rock salt for West Africa up to the end of the 16th century when it was abandoned and replaced by the salt-pan at Taoudenni which lies to the southeast. Salt from the Taghaza mines formed an important part of the long distance trans-Saharan trade. The salt pan is located south of Sijilmasa (in Morocco), north-northwest of Timbuktu (in Mali) and north-northeast of Oualata (in Mauritania).