Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata World Heritage Site

Official name

Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata | UNESCO

Country

Mauritania | Map

Continent

Africa

Location

Oudane, Chinguetti: region de l’Adrar; Tichitt: region du Tagant; Oualata: region du Hodh Echchargut
20.9288° Lat, -11.6236° Lon | Map

Code

750

Time Zone

Africa/Nouakchott (GMT, +0000)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 1996. Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that evolved between the 12th and 16th centuries. Typically, houses with patios crowd along narrow streets around a mosque with a square minaret. They illustrate a traditional way of life centred on the nomadic culture of the people of the western Sahara.