Chinguetti, Mauritania

Chinguetti is a medieval medina located east of the Adrar Plateau, 150 km east of the city of Atar in central Mauritania. The seventh holy city of Islam was founded in the twelfth century as the center of several trans-Saharan trade routes. This small town still attracts many visitors who come to admire its architecture, the exotic desert landscapes and ancient libraries that house early manuscripts of the Arab world. Moreover, the city is seriously threatened by the invasion of desert dunes that mark its western border, which have buried many houses. The vernacular architecture of the largest sectors of the city are characteristic for red drywall and mud houses with flat roofs of palm wood.