Chinguetti: The Holy City of Sahara
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exicorient.com/mauritania/chinguet.htm Getting there is half the fun. The crossing from Atar is shocking,
where narrow roads follow the mountain sides, even when this has made some turns of the road so sharp that they can't be done in one turn. The nature is totally wild. The result is that this remote place is the most frequently visited tourist spot in Mauritania. But by Mauritanian standards, this is close to nothing, anyway. The old city is fairly old, the western side dates back 700 years. The age has to do with most of old Chinguetti being constructed from stones. The main attraction in the city is the old mosque.
In his description of the city Michael Palin author of
Sahara points out that though the old mosque has been beautifully restored, the warren of streets around it is like a ghost town. Discarded sardine tins, batteries, padlocks, Pepsi cans and electric cables lie half-buried in the sand. Birds dart through the ruined houses, and occasionally a veiled figure will call out from a doorway, indicating that their house is not abandoned and pointing out the word 'boutique' scrawled beside it on the wall and the small collection of local artefacts dimly visible inside. In other streets the stone walls are all that remains. Behind solid carved doorways, once prosperous houses lie open to the sky and the sand. The desert is taking over Chinguetti.
For visitors sleeping and eating is not easy in Chinguetti. Rooms are to be found, but there are not many of them, and the choice range is limited. Tent is not a bad idea, but beware where you put it, dunes are moving, and you don't want any of them crawling over you during your sleep. When it comes to eating, some families hospitality could be the best bet. There are no five star hotels but a trip to this remarkable desert city will make up for the harsh env ironment and other inconveniences.
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Casablanca Office / Agents
Mr. Nour-eddine Saoudi
Mrs. Samera Bnalaede
163, rue Taha Hussein, Casablanca-Morroco
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الدار البيضاء
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السيدة سميرة بنلعيدي
163 زنقة طه حسين
الدار البيضاء-المملكة المغربية
لتغطية الدول التالية: المغرب، الجزائر، تونس، موريتانيا |
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