Lets Talk African History:"Sahel" West African Civilizations

[Sonni]

Researchers of the Nouakchott university, work on the inventory of the Chinguetti treasure. Some books are in microfilms but funds are very limited. The UNESCO launched in 1981 a saving campaign for the old towns of Mauritania

Chinguetti by O.Blaise, on Flickr

 

[Sonni]

These books belong to Ahmed Al Mahmoud Fondation

manuscripts 03 by roadwarrior, on Flickr

 

[Sonni]

each year the mauritanian government (which i actually hate) does something good by organising the ancient cities festival. here are a few pics of it. People showcase art, poetry, music, dances, crafts, traditional items of Chinguetti and other medieval cities.

bendié! by Adrar Info, on Flickr

 

[Sonni]

That was it for Chinguetti. Now we’re gonna showcase Ouadane.
Ouadane (Arabic: وادان‎) is a town in northwestern Mauritania, lying on the Adrar Plateau, northeast of Chinguetti.
It was founded in 1147 by the tribe Idawalhaj and soon became an important caravan and trading centre.

The old town, a World Heritage Site, though in ruins, is still substantially intact, while a small modern settlement lies outside its gate.

 

[Sonni]

These ruins of the stone houses on the edge of the old quarter of Ouadane date of the 12th century !!!

Ouadane old city - Mauritania by markpanama, on Flickr

 

[Sonni]

According to Duarte Pacheco Pereira in his Esmeraldo de situ orbis (written in 1505-1508), in 1487 the Portuguese built an entrepôt in Ouadane in an attempt to gain access to the trans-Saharan gold trade

Ouadane. by ibiss, on Flickr

 

[Sonni]

reminders of the past glory ...

 

[Sonni]

Ouadane was all set in the hillside

 

[Sonni]

with 800 years since the construction, one should rather be impressed with how much is still there

 

[Sonni]

the Idawalhajj tribe are the founders of Ouadane

 

[Sonni]

Ouadanes ''Ouadi'' or Rivers used to flow here

Desert river by zz77, on Flickr

 

[Sonni]

here was located the Ouadane old city

 

[Sonni]

Baba, the guide

 

[Sonni]

locals selling traditional items to the rare tourists since the terrorist threats by Al Qaida and affiliates

 

[Sonni]

ancient manuscripts