A place with old cities
Chinghetti, which is the seventh holiest city in Islam and was once thought of as a gathering spot for Moorish pilgrims traveling to Mecca, has a particular position on our list of "Mauritania tourism attractions." The city, which served as the Moors' capital, was established in the thirteenth century. Ciletti as it is today is a shadow of the once-prosperous metropolis. Due to the pilgrims, a veritable metropolis was developed here for four centuries, attracting traders and artisans. This allowed the city to grow and produce mosques, bazaars, and other structures that are still in excellent condition today. For Chinghetti, caravans in the desert, where up to 30,000 camels gathered simultaneously, were a source of economic riches! Wheat, barley, and dates were shipped from other cities to Chinghetti for commerce, and regional traders dealt in wool, gold, and slaves. More than 20,000 Mauritania residents resided in the city during the period of economic success. Chinghetti is currently only home to a few thousand inhabitants, but despite this, it continues to rank among the most popular tourist destinations in Mauritania. Mauritania's Chinguetti Mosque is regarded as its emblem. Non-Muslim tourists are not permitted inside the mosque, but they can examine precious scientific and Quranic writings in the old quarter's library and enjoy the nomads' customary hospitality in a remote location.
The journey must include Nouakchott, the capital city of Mauritania. Even if the city is chaotic, risky, and filthy, you will have an unforgettable experience there! The fact that locals transport water on donkeys from one end of the city to the other and tourists are shocked by this scene is really shocking. The majority of the city is not supplied with water. Nouakchott began as a camp, a resting place for desert nomads, before swiftly taking on the aspect of a modern metropolis. However, tourists can clearly notice the contrast between the two worlds: that of the nomads and that of the capital's contemporary population. The fish market and the beach are two of Nouakchott's most well-known sights. The market, which is close to the water, serves as the town's primary gathering area. The variety of fish offered to customers, from the most common to the most exotic, might occasionally surprise visitors.
The former Port-Etienne, currently known as Nouadhibou, is located 525 kilometers north of Nouakchott. Initially, planes arriving from Europe made their first stop in Africa at Port Etienne. Even Antoine de Saint-Exupery, a famous author and flyer, wrote about this location in his works. The city's appearance was altered by the fishing industry's quick expansion; as a result of its burgeoning economy, it started to draw sailors from all around the west coast of Africa. The bay is currently a veritable shipyard. Due to a financial scam, where dishonest businessmen purchased decaying ships for a much higher price and left them to rot here, the cemetery was made possible. However, the ship graveyard evolved into a gathering place for romantics, for whom this scene was and is still a thing of beauty.
