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Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata

Mauritania
Date of Inscription: 1996
Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)
Oudane, Chinguetti: region de l’Adrar; Tichitt: region du Tagant; Oualata: region du Hodh Echchargut
N20 55 44.004 W11 37 24.996
Ref: 750

Brief Description

Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that evolved between the 12th and 16th centuries. Typically, houses with patios crowd along narrow streets around a mosque with a square minaret. They illustrate a traditional way of life centred on the nomadic culture of the people of the western Sahara.

Justification for Inscription

The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the World Heritage List on the basis of cultural criteria (iii), (iv) and (v) considering that these four ancient cities constitute exceptional examples of settlements built to serve the important trade routes of the Sahara Desert, and which were witness to cultural, social and economic contacts for many centuries.

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