Mauritania: Chinguetti – New Town
The “new” town of Chinguetti, which is also referred to as Chinguetti’s modern quarter, developed as the older parts of the town faced increasing threats from desertification and sand encroachment. While the old town is known for its historic architecture and ancient libraries, the new town has more contemporary buildings (somewhat) and infrastructure (slightly) to accommodate the needs of its residents. While the historic old town of Chinguetti with its stunning Mosque is the major historic attraction in Mauritania, the “new” town where most residents live just across a ravine to the east is quite interesting itself. There is a very pretty mosque here as well, built in traditional style, and a market square near it is where people hand out and most of the activity happens.
