From the Atlantic to Chinguetti

Nouakchott

Nouakchott’s name means ‘windy city’ in Hassaniya, not a bad description for a place that experiences sandstorms for more than half of the year. The largest city in the country and reputedly the largest in the Sahara, Nouakchott perches between the desert and the Atlantic. But it wasn’t always such a significant place and in the 1950s was little more than a fishing village, of little importance to colonial French West Africa. Chosen as the capital of Mauritania at independence, it grew quickly into an economic and political hub, and benefits from a deep sea port which handles Mauritania’s massive amount of imported goods.

In common with most cities in the region, there’s little in the way of formal tourist sites. However, it is a great introduction to the country, with a feel of the Sahara crossed with Morocco crossed with Europe plus a little bit of West Africa proper.

Nouakchott’s markets are fun to explore, with women clad in colourful robes bargaining furiously for goods, while nomads from the desert beyond give them an air of the exotic. The fish markets are the busiest in West Africa and well worth exploring, and a rewarding excursion, if you have the time, is to visit the beaches to see the fishermen bring in their catches.

Banc d’Arguin National Park

Banc d’Arguin is one of the world’s most important sites for birds, lying directly on the route between Europe and Africa and a haven for migratory species. Fringing the Atlantic coast, the park comprises sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and shallow coastal waters. The contrast between the harsh desert environment and the biodiversity of the marine zone has resulted in a land- and seascape of outstanding natural significance.

Banc d’Arguin is home to the largest population of wintering waders in the world, with over a hundred species here; some of the larger ones include flamingos, spoonbill and pelicans. As well as birds, several species of sea turtle and dolphin, used by the fishermen to attract shoals of fish, can also be found and dorcas gazelles, hyenas, fennec and jackals are sometimes spotted.

Imragen people

The Imragen are a unique ethnic group confined to Mauritania’s northern coast and are famous for using dolphins to help herd shoals of fish into their nets. Numbering less than five thousand, their lives are intricately bound with the population of mullet that lives offshore.

Traditionally they have been rather powerless in the social structure of Mauritania, having been relegated to the lower caste position of znaga by the ‘noble’ Hassanes. Their origin is unclear; some say they pre-date the Berbers, others that they are the relics of Spanish moors who fled Europe centuries ago.

Ouadane

Founded by Berbers in the 12th century, Ouadane grew prosperous due to its location on the Trans-Saharan caravan routes, bearing host to traders bringing dates, gold, salt and slaves to the markets further north. A Portuguese trading post was established in 1487 in an attempt to gain access to the trade, but does not appear to have lasted very long. With the discovery of the sea routes around West Africa, the Trans Saharan routes fell into a slow decline, and with them, the towns that depended upon them for their livelihood – around the 16th century Ouadane began to fade.

Like Chinguetti, Ouadane was also a place of Islamic scholarship and the town is home to a number of ancient manuscripts. The buildings of the historic old town are clustered around a cliff and consist of old mosques and dwellings, their stone built structures blending into their environment, and one of the highlights of a visit to Mauritania is strolling through its narrow and atmospheric streets.

Chinguetti

Founded in the 13th century as the centre of several trans-Saharan trade routes, Chinguetti’s well preserved historic buildings give it the sense of yesteryear and walking through its sandy streets, rubbing shoulders with blue-robed men and veiled women, it’s not hard to imagine that you’re in another time. The indigenous Saharan architecture of older parts of the city includes houses constructed of reddish dry-stone and mud-brick techniques, with flat roofs timbered from palms. Many of the older houses feature doors cut from massive ancient acacia trees, which have long disappeared from the surrounding area. Many homes include courtyards or patios that crowd along narrow streets leading to the central mosque.

Some of the most impressive buildings in the town include the Friday Mosque, an ancient structure of dry-stone construction, featuring a square minaret capped with five ostrich egg finials; the former French Foreign Legion fortress; and a tall water tower. The old quarter of Chinguetti has five important manuscript libraries of scientific and Koranic texts that date back centuries. with many dating from the later Middle Ages.

For centuries the city was a principal gathering place for pilgrims of the Maghreb to gather on the way to Mecca. Chinguetti became known as a holy city in its own right, especially for pilgrims unable to make the long journey to Arabia. It also became a centre of Islamic religious and scientific scholarship in West Africa and in addition to religious training, the schools of Chinguetti taught students rhetoric, law, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. For many centuries all of Mauritania was popularly known in the Arab world as Bilad Shinqit, “the land of Chinguetti.”