Chinguetti
written by azurblue
on May 9th, 2008
(2 votes)
CHINGUETTI is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the western
Sahara, (Mauritania) as both the city and the surrounding mountainous area are very picturesque. The old city side dates back 700 years. The age has to do with the oldest Chinguetti being constructed from stones. The main attraction in the city is the old mosque. But as Chinguetti once was really venerated as one of the most holy cities in Islam (ranked, even today, as number 7), this is off limit to non-Muslims.
The mosque and its minaret is popularly considered the national emblem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. In the 1970s the mosque was restored through a UNESCO effort, but it, along with the city itself, continues to be threatened by intense desertification. You can visit old libraries, saunter along the ruined streets of the old city covered with sand, and maybe be invited to drink the mint tea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinguetti
http://www.infomauritania.com/
How to get there: from October to May, you can fly from Paris to Atar with a charter. Then you’ll have to hire a 4 wheels to joint Chinguetti, in about 2 hours of a wonderful road.
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