Best Tourist Places to Visit in Mauritania, Nouakchott, Western Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Mauritania, Nouakchott, Western Africa, Africa

Mauritania is a western African country geographically positioned at 19.5667° N, 10.6500° W. It shares its borders with Algeria towards the northeast, Western Sahara towards the north, Senegal towards the southwest and Mali towards the east. Nouakchott is the capital and largest city of Mauritania, situated on the coastline of the country. In terms of area, Mauritania is the 29^th largest country in the world, covering a land of 1,030,700 sq. km.

The five major cities of Mauritania are:

Nouadhibou
Kaédi
Aleg
Kiffa
Atar

History of Mauritania:

Before coming under the European power Imperial France in the late 19th century, Mauritania was ruled by many Arab kingdoms, including the renowned Moorish Empire. The independence of Mauritania was declared from the French on 28 November 1960 and the current constitution of Mauritania was formed on 12 July 1991.

Getting Mauritania:

The Nouakchott International Airport is the most important airport of Mauritania, situated only 1 km away from the heart of the capital city, Nouakchott. Mauritanian Airlines is the national airline and the airport offers flights to Casablanca, Istanbul, Dakar, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Abidjan, Bamako, Brazzaville, Casablanca, Conakry, Algiers and Paris.

There is no international railway connection but Mauritania is connected by bus to nearby Moroccan and Senegal cities.

The local transportation in Mauritanian cities is catered by buses, rental cars and taxis.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Mauritania:

Arabic is the official and widely spoken language in Mauritania and other highly used languages in Mauritania are Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof.

Marche Capital and Marche Sixieme in Nouakchott are the two important markets of Mauritania and the city of Nouakchott also houses dozens of international food corners with pizzas, hamburgers, sandwiches and salads.

Some reputed food corners in Nouakchott in Mauritania are as follows:

La Grillade
Huzur Restaurant
Restaurant Al Fantasia
Le Mediterraneen

Things to do in Mauritania:

Beach exploration
Visiting archeological sites
The city tour of Nouakchott

Places to see in Mauritania:

Oualata:

The city of Oualata in Mauritania is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, holding numerous imposing historical budlings as well as a manuscript museum. The city is situated in the southeastern part of the country.

National Museum of Mauritania:

The National Museum of Mauritania is situated in the capital city, Nouakchott. The museum was founded to showcase the archaeological and ethnographical features of the country and the collections are stored at two galleries that include traditional clothes, sherds and arrowheads.

Mosque Ould Abas:

The Mosque Ould Abas is a magnificent historic mosque, situated in the midst of the markets Marche de La Viande and Marche Capitale in Nouakchott. The striking Mosque Saudique is located in the vicinity of Mosque Ould Abas.

Chinguetti Mosque:

The Chinguetti Mosque is an excellent historic mosque, located in the ancient city of Chinguetti in Mauritania. Minaret tower is its highlight, which is considered as the 2^nd oldest in the Muslim countries in continuous operation.

List of other places of interests in and around Mauritania include:

Plage de Nouakchott
Marche aux Khaimas
Port de Peche
Terjit
Nouakchott Silver Market
Nouakchott Stadium
Cathedral of St. Joseph
Centre culturel francais St Exupery
Marche Capitale

Best time to visit Mauritania:

Mauritania features a hot desert climate with relatively hot weather throughout the year and the best time to visit Mauritania is from January to May.

Accommodation Options in Mauritania:

Hotels in Mauritania range from budget guesthouses to star rated hotels and the most high end hotels in the Mauritanian’s hospitality industry are located in the capital city, Nouakchott and of which many hotels offer advance booking facility through online for visitors convenience. Facilities include spa, sauna, fitness centre, internet, doctor on call service, food on request and TV. Some recommended hotels in Mauritania, located in Nouakchott are as follows: