Mauritania: Chinguetti – Chinguetti Mosque & Old Town
Chinguetti is an ancient ksar (fortified city) that stood on the main north south trans-Saharan trading route. The town was established in 777 AD and then lost to the Saharan sands, rebuilt again in the 13th century and reached its apogee. It was large Islamic center of literature and learning and a major caravan stop point. The Chinguetti mosque is one of the world’s oldest mosques – it is over 800-years old and the minaret was built using un-mortared, split-stone masonry. The mosque is surrounded by a maze of what used to be the old city, before the desert took over and the city had to be rebuilt. The mosque and its minaret is considered the national emblem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and is featured on the 1000 ouguiya banknote, the highest denomination available. Few tourists get this deep into Mauritania and Sahara, although the atmosphere and the site are quite stunning. The old town is very interesting with small square houses and massive ancient doors built from acacia trees that used to once grow here.
