Chinguetti

Chinguetti شنقيط (Arabic) City of Libraries
Old town, Chinguetti
Chinguetti Location in Mauritania
Coordinates: 20°27′N 12°21′W / 20.450°N 12.350°W / 20.450; -12.350
Country	Mauritania
Region	Adrar Region
Department	Chinguetti
Area
• City	529.0 km2 (204.2 sq mi)
Population  (2013 census)
• City	4,800
• Urban	3,227
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv, v
Designated	1996 (20th session)
Reference no.	750
Region	Arab States

Chinguetti (/ʃɪŋˈɡɛti/ shing-GHET-ee; Arabic: شنقيط, romanized: Šinqīṭ) is a ksar and a medieval trading center in northern Mauritania, located on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar. Chinguetti had a population of 4,800 as of 2013.^[1]

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. The city is seriously threatened by the encroaching desert; high sand dunes mark the western boundary and several houses have been abandoned to the sand.

The town is split in two by a wadi. On one side, there is the old sector, and on the other the new one. The indigenous Saharan architecture of older sectors of the city features houses constructed of reddish dry-stone and mud-brick techniques, with flat roofs timbered from palms. Many of the older houses feature hand-hewn doors cut from massive ancient acacia trees, which have long disappeared from the surrounding area. Many homes include courtyards or patios that crowd along narrow streets leading to the central mosque.