Description
We visit Chinguetti, a town in north-western Mauritania, on the edge of the Sahara. Chinguetti was founded in the thirteenth century and developed into an important religious and scientific centre in West Africa.
During our walk through Chinguetti, we see a traditional desert town, built from local stone and mud brick. The narrow streets and compact layout are adapted to the arid climate and extreme temperatures of the Sahara.
For centuries, Chinguetti lay on an important trans-Saharan trade route. Caravans travelled from North Africa to regions south of the desert. Traders transported goods including salt, gold and textiles. At the same time, the town developed into a centre for Islamic education.
The old mosque of Chinguetti is one of the town’s most famous buildings. The square minaret is considered an important example of traditional Saharan architecture. The mosque is still in use today.
During the walk, the simple constructions catch the eye. Houses are built with thick walls to keep out the heat. Many buildings are in a fragile state due to erosion, sand drifts and limited restoration possibilities.
Chinguetti has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996, alongside other historic ksour in Mauritania.
An important part of our visit is a library. Thousands of ancient manuscripts are preserved in various private collections. These documents cover subjects such as religion, law, astronomy, mathematics and medicine.
The manuscripts date from various periods and illustrate how knowledge spread through North and West Africa via trade routes. Many texts are handwritten in Arabic and have been looked after by local families for generations.
The libraries play a vital role in preserving the region’s cultural heritage. At the same time, the climate, sand and the passage of time pose a constant threat to the collections.
By the end of the walk, it becomes clear that Chinguetti is not only a historic settlement but also a key location for studying the history of trade, religion and science in the Saharan region.
We visited Mauritania on our overland trip by car (a Toyota LandCruiser 4WD campervan) from West-Africa; see our channel https://www.youtube.com/user/JanvanBekkum for hundreds of clips. More clips of Mauritania can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYlw_C7EP8KqyTKPnPCZ38MjsZxf_bkB.
Music and/or sound effects:
- 'Desert City' by Kevin MacLeod. Link: www.incompetech.com. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/;
- 'Arabic sadness' disctributed by Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/). Applicable license terms: https://pixabay.com/service/license-summary/;
- 'Symphony of the Streets. Hip-Hop Background Music for video 60 second' created by Maksim Dudchyk and uploaded from Pixbay (https://pixabay.com/nl/music/orkestraal-symphony-of-the-streets-hip-hop-background-music-for-video-60-second-476679/).;
- 'Calm inspiring technology logo short version' created by Alex Zavesa, distributed by Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/film-special-effects-calm-inspiring-technology-logo-short-version-518993/).