Ethiopia's ancient salt trail – in pictures

Sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

For centuries, merchants have travelled with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

Men search for a suitable place to extract salt Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

Camels from the caravan eat dried grass Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

An armed Afar man crosses a river near the Danakil Depression
Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A worker extracts slabs of salt from the desert Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A worker ties together slabs of salt
Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A worker loads a camel with slabs of salt Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A camel herder and salt merchant holds rope for packing the salt
Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A camel caravan carrying slabs of salt leaves the Danakil Depression for their two-day journey to the town of Berahile Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

Berahile in Afar, northern Ethiopia. Much of the town's economy revolves around the salt trade; the biggest building, on the bottom right of the photograph, is a newly constructed warehouse where salt is stored
Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A man lifts slabs of salt on to a truck in Berahile town, Afar, northern Ethiopia
Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A man prepares a bar of salt for sale Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

A man prepares bars of salt to be sold in the main market of the city of Mekele, northern Ethiopia
Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters