←Mauritania travel guide
Adrar Region, Mauritania
Chinguetti
A medieval caravan city of manuscripts slowly swallowed by dunes
AdventureCultureHistory & Heritage
Founded in the 13th century as a gathering point for West African pilgrims journeying to Mecca, Chinguetti was once considered the seventh holiest city in Islam and a major centre of trans-Saharan scholarship. The UNESCO-listed old town preserves a 13th-century mosque with a distinctive square minaret, narrow mud-brick streets, and thirteen private family libraries holding thousands of ancient Arabic manuscripts.
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Best time to visit
November to March (cooler dry season)
Region
Adrar Region
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Top Things to Do in Chinguetti
UNESCO World HeritageHistory
Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata
These four fortified caravan towns, collectively inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996, trace the height of trans-Saharan trade and Islamic scholarship between the 11th and 16th centuries. Each ksar is built from mud brick and stone, centred on a mosque with a square minaret, and surrounded by narrow streets that channel desert breezes and shelter inhabitants from sandstorms. Together they hold an extraordinary collection of ancient Arabic manuscripts covering theology, astronomy, mathematics, and law.
UNESCO World Heritage
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Getting Around Chinguetti
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Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Mauritania
Entry requirements vary by passport. Check the requirements for your specific passport on the Mauritania page at Yoogo.
The currency is the Mauritanian ouguiya (MRU), which replaced the old ouguiya (MRO) in 2018 at a rate of 10:1. Card payments are rarely accepted outside a small number of hotels in Nouakchott, so it is advisable to carry sufficient cash in local currency, as ATMs are limited and unreliable outside the capital.
Mauritania presents varied conditions across its vast territory, and the situation can change. Consult your government's official travel advisory before departure and register with your embassy on arrival in Nouakchott.
Transport between major towns relies on shared taxis (known as bush taxis or sept-places), which depart when full from designated stations in each town. For remote desert areas such as the Adrar Plateau, a hired four-wheel-drive vehicle with a knowledgeable local guide is the standard approach, as paved roads are limited and desert tracks require specialist navigation.
The period from November to March offers the most comfortable conditions for travel, with daytime temperatures ranging between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius and little risk of rain. From May onwards temperatures rise sharply across the desert interior, and July to September brings seasonal rains that can cause flooding around Nouakchott.
Arabic (specifically the Hassaniya dialect) is the national language and is widely spoken, while Pular, Soninke, and Wolof are recognised national languages of the country's various ethnic communities. French is understood in government and business contexts in Nouakchott and Atar, but English is rarely spoken outside international hotels, so a few basic Arabic phrases will be warmly appreciated.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from or transiting through countries where yellow fever transmission is a risk. Recommended vaccinations typically include hepatitis A and B, typhoid, meningitis, and rabies, and malaria prophylaxis is advisable for travel to the southern regions; consult a travel health clinic well before departure.
Tipping is not a strong local custom but is appreciated in tourist-facing services. A tip of around 10 per cent is reasonable in restaurants that do not include a service charge, and guides and drivers for desert excursions generally expect a gratuity of a similar proportion of the tour cost.