Chinguetti

Chinguetti genuinely erupts from the huge Sahara's shifting sand dunes (the hills of dust that surround this one have been encroaching and encroaching for decades, and have even claimed some of the residential areas on the edge of the settlement). It was originally a key commercial stopover between the Med in the north and the sub-Sahara in the south, with eerily vacant streets chiseled and chipped by the winds. It now attracts some of the country's largest audiences, who come to marvel at the brick-built towers and historic fortifications of Berber tribes and Almoravids dating back to the Middle Ages. The location is also part of a broader UNESCO World Heritage Site, which includes a number of other medieval desert communities in the Adrar region and beyond.

The Friday Mosque of Chinguetti, a historic dry-stone edifice with a square minaret topped with five ostrich egg finials; the former French Foreign Legion fortress; and a tall watertower are among the town's notable structures. Five notable manuscript libraries of scientific and Qur'anic books, many of which date from the later Middle Age, may be found in Chinguetti's old neighborhood.

The Mauritanian government, the United States Peace Corps, and numerous NGOs have sought in recent years to promote the city as a destination for adventurous travelers. Visitors may "skate" down the sand dunes, visit the libraries, and take in the Sahara's austere beauty.

Location: Adrar, Mauritania