Mauritania - Sahara Desert
The Adrar - Atar - Chinguetti
The Adrar is an arid plateau and a historical region of the Sahara Desert in northern Mauritania. It's capital town is Atar and the most famous city is Chinguetti.
Chinguetti is a ksar or a Berber medieval trading center in northern Mauritania, located on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar.
Founded in the 13th century as the center of several trans-Saharan trade routes, this small city continues to attract a handful of visitors who admire its spare architecture, scenery, and ancient libraries. In 1996, UNESCO designated Chinguetti, along with the cities of Ouadane, Tichitt and Oualata, also in the dunes area, as a World Heritage Site.
The Friday Mosque of Chinguetti is widely considered by Mauritanians to be the national symbol of the country.
BEST TIME to VISIT MAURITANIA
BEST TIME to TRAVEL to SAHARA and ADRAR
from November to March
Mosque in a village
Mosque
Goats belonging to a nomade family
Goats belonging to a nomade family
Goat in the dunes
Off road drive to find a path to skirt the dunes cuting the road
a dune is covering the road and the driver and the guide are checking the sand to know if the car can make it, or not
a dune is covering the road and the driver and the guide are checking the sand to know if the car can make it, or not
a dune is covering the road and the driver is checking the sand to know if the car can make it, or not
Pushed by winds, the dunes are rolling to the road leaving few space or no space for cars - so we had to skirt that road few kilometers
this road between Atar and Tidjikdja is new and paved, but not maintained. Dunes are blocking many kilometers and 4WD cars can skirt off road but don't even try without a 4WD
Pushed by winds, the dunes are rolling to the road leaving few space for cars, but here the 3rd dune is blocking completely the road - so we had to skirt that road few kilometers
Off road drive to find a path to skirt the dunes cuting the road
Pushed by winds, the dunes are rolling to the road leaving no space for cars - so we had to skirt that road few kilometers
End of the Off road drive, we reach again the road between Atar and Tidjikdja
Dunes on the road can be high due to a default of maintenance - the only solution is to skirt off road
Baby goat drinking
young woman preparing tea under the tent
Taxi driver
Nomade Tent - there is no furniture and all objects are locked behind the branches of the tent
Nomade Tent - there is no furniture and some objects are hanging on the walls
Nomade Tent - there is no furniture and all objects are locked behind the branches of the tent
Atar town - colorful shop
Atar town - building
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is opening the door
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books - He is wearing gloves to protect the books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books - He is wearing gloves to protect the books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is explaining the history of Chinguetti
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books -
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is presenting the very old books - He is wearing gloves to protect the books
Chinguetti - the owner of the private Library is locking the door
Nomade famiy
Dunes are invading the road
Nomade woman waiting a ride along the road - There is no public buses
Nomades in the Sahara dunes and their tent
Nomads offers tea and shelter to travelers - Also they have a small shop for tourists
white dromedary in the desert
women on a donkey carriage
Donkey
goats
Under the tent with nomads - preparing the milk
Nomad in the Sahara desert
Chinguetti - old door
Chinguetti - old house
Chinguetti - old door
Chinguetti - old house with a blue door
around Chinguetti - These rocks were a shelter in the past and Petroglyphs are found on the rock
Chinguetti - one of the last private library with very old books
Nomade man
Under the tent with nomads - young girl bringing tea
Chingetti - old door
young man
young man
Chinguetti - old town
around Chinguetti - women - one has henna on her hands
Man with a donkey carriage on the road
women at the market
young girl
Man and woman in a village
old man
Atar is the capital town of Adrar - Lady in pink
Chinguetti - old book in a private Library
man with a cheich (typical long scarf for berbers)
old woman in the desert
Terjit Oasis - young girl
young man in white
young man with a black cheich
Man with a traditional white costume - Here the road starts to be covered by sand
Man with a cheich
young girl
Man with a cheich
woman at the grocery store
man with a donkey
young girl
Man with the traditional white costume
young girls
women in pink and yellow
young girl
Typical house and goats
dunes landscape
typical houses
Scenic drive with dunes
donkey
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar sandy landscape
sandy landscape after a sand storm
sandy landscape after a sand storm
sandy landscape after a sand storm
Dromadery
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
small oasis with few houses
typical house
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical house
Unpaved road and dust
Drivers are quite good to fix a problem, good idea when the next garage is hundred kilometers away
relax, have a cup of tea in the garden
dining room in a hotel to relax or for a meal
pretty colorful house
typical landscape and houses
cliff
curious girls
old man on a donkey
typical house
around Chinguetti - landscape with a pick-up
donkey carriage
Terjit Oasis - unpaved road
Terjit Oasis - old man walking
Terjit Oasis - unpaved road
around Chinguetti - Ancient petroglyphs
around Chinguetti - These rocks were a shelter in the past and Petroglyphs are found on the rock
around Chinguetti - Ancient petroglyphs
Chinguetti - old houses
taxi driver
Chinguetti - old houses
landscape
cliff landscape
landscape
The town of Atar is the busy capital of Adrar area
Terjit Oasis - unpaved road - Elegant old building
The town of Atar is the busy capital of Adrar area
Chinguetti - old building
Chinguetti - old building
Chinguetti - typical house
Chinguetti - old building
Chinguetti - couple walking in the sand
Typical Adrar landscape
repairing this old car
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
beautiful landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Dromaderies
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape
Nomade camp with a tent
Typical Adrar landscape
Typical Adrar landscape with dromaderies
Typical Adrar volcanic landscape
Nomade camp with tents
Nomade camp with tents
Dunes around Chinguetti
Nomads are still living in the desert under tents with dromedaries, goats and sheeps
Off road in the desert - 4WD mandatory with a good knownledge of desert and sand or you might be stuck
Rocky mountain
Cars and Pick-ups are overloaded in the desert
around Chingetti - this Fort was built for a movie : Fort Saganne is a 1984 French war film directed by Alain Corneau and starring Gérard Depardieu
Adrar overview with the road
landscape with an oasis