Chinguetti is a city in Mauritania, the administrative center of the Chinguetti department in the Adrar region.
Founded at the end of the 13th century, the city was an important center of trans-Saharan caravan trade between North Africa and Black Africa.
For centuries, Mauritania was known in the Arab world as the “land of Chinguetti”, and the West African city itself was sometimes called the “seventh holy city of Islam”.
Along with other ancient fortified cities (ksour) in Mauritania, the city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996.
Access : Coordinates: 20.45, -12.35 /
Highlights :
- Among the important buildings in the town are the Chinguetti Friday Mosque. There is the former French Foreign Legion fortress and a high water tank. Chinguetti’s old square contains manuscripts of the Quran and scientific works.
Go next : UNESCO designated Chinguetti along with the cities of Ouadane, Tichitt and Oualata, as a World Heritage Site.
