Chinguetti
Sign in to saveChinguetti ( ; ) is a ksar and a medieval trading center in northern Mauritania, located on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar. Chinguetti had a population of 4,800 as of 2013.
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Place details
- Locality
- Chinguetti شنقيط
- Region
- Adrar أدرار
- Country
- Mauritanie موريتانيا
- Population
- 4,711
- Timezone
- Africa/Nouakchott
via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames
Key facts
- Settlement.official_name
- Chinguetti
- Settlement.other_name
- City of Libraries
- Settlement.image_skyline
- Chinguetti-Vue Goblale Vieille ville.jpg
- Settlement.imagesize
- 260px
- Settlement.image_caption
- Old town, Chinguetti
- Settlement.pushpin_map
- Mauritania
- Settlement.pushpin_label_position
- bottom
- Settlement.pushpin_mapsize
- 300
- Settlement.pushpin_map_caption
- Location in Mauritania
- Settlement.subdivision_type
- Country
- Settlement.subdivision_type1
- Region
- Settlement.subdivision_name
- 25px Mauritania
- Settlement.subdivision_name1
- Adrar Region
- Settlement.subdivision_type2
- Department
- Settlement.subdivision_name2
- Chinguetti
- Settlement.area_total_km2
- 529.0
- Settlement.population_as_of
- 2013 census
- Settlement.population_total
- 4,800
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Population
- 6811
- Area
- 50401
- Elevation
- 495
- Image
- مسجد شنقيط التاريخي.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Chinguetti
via Wikidata · CC0
Travel guide
Get in
Cars go from Atar to Chinguetti for 2,000 UM per person. Be at the place at around 08:00 as they depart at different times each day.
Get around
Chinguetti is easily covered by foot.
See
thumb|250px|The Great "Friday Mosque" of Chinguetti.
The Old town of Chinguetti is noted for its style of indigenous Saharan architecture, featuring reddish dry stone and mud-brick houses.
Do
250px|thumb|Inside a Qur'anic library. Chinguetti has some of the more postcard perfect sand dunes in the Sahara. You can hire a camel and guide to walk you and your things around the desert, but you won't be actually riding the camel. You can also hire a 4-wheel drive. A better option might be to hike on your own.
Drink
According to Michael Palin's book Sahara he was offered a drink called zrig which is a mixture of goat milk, water, millet and sugar.
Sleep
There are plenty of auberges, with beds for as little as 1,500 ouguiya. Camping just outside the city is also a popular option. Unfortunately, with the collapse of tourism in the Sahel, many hotels have been forced to close. If you wander around the city (preferably in the evening) you'll be likely invited by the locals to sleep at their family house. They will probably refuse any payment.
Go next
To go to Atar be prepared to leave early in the morning as the locals need to catch a bus to Nouakchott and tend to leave at 05:00 or 06:00..
Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)
~7 min read
Article
11 sectionsContents
- History
- Founding
- Center of Trade
- World Heritage Site
- Religious importance
- Climate
- Gallery
- Notable residents
- See also
- Notes
- External links
Chinguetti ( ; ) is a ksar and a medieval trading center in northern Mauritania, located on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar. Chinguetti had a population of 4,800 as of 2013.
Founded in the 13th century as the center of several trans-Saharan trade routes, this small city continues to attract a handful of visitors who admire its spare architecture, scenery, and ancient libraries. The city is seriously threatened by the encroaching desert; high sand dunes mark the western boundary and several houses have been abandoned to the sand.
Gallery (2)
On the map
3 mapped locations