Nouakchott is the capital city of Mauritania. For visitors, it’s usually just a stop on the way to places like Oualata and Chinguetti, but there are a few interesting things to see in Nouakchott. These are my photos from the morning I spent there.
1.2 of the 4.6 million people in Mauritania live in Nouakchott. It’s a fairly new city that was originally a fishing village, chosen to become the capital when Mauritania gained independence from France in 1960. People began to give up their nomadic ways of life to flock to the new capital. The decorative toppers that can be spotted on roofs are homages to the tents that were once homes for nomadic families.
The Port de Pêche (literally ‘fishing port’) is the largest fishing port in Mauritania. The beaches and water are full of vibrantly painted pirogues. They’re built and decorated by Wolof and Fula artists for use by fishermen. The fish are gutted and sold at the market behind the beach.
This is also where many refugees aiming for the Canary Islands leave mainland Africa. They use these tiny pirogues for the entire 750 mile journey. Only true desperation would ever drive someone to do that.
The camel market in Nouakchott is the second-largest in Africa. The biggest one is in Khartoum, Sudan. From the road it’s an unassuming place, where you’ll spot a few camels beyond squat walls and fences of twisted wood and wire. As you walk in, you’ll soon see hundreds of camels in sprawling pens and a few goats, dogs and cows, too.
The men weaving through the pens are their herders, wearing turbans and blue, flowing robes known as boubous.
I never realised how cute camels are until then. I took a selfie with one and it leaned into the camera and bopped me on the head. They’re often given as gifts in Mauritania. Unfortunately I wouldn’t have got one past Ryanair.
Finally, these last ones are photos I took from the car as we left Nouakchott.
Ryanair don’t fly to Mauritania, in case you were wondering, but you can fly to Gran Canara and then take a Mauritania Airlines flight to Nouakchott or Nouadhibou from there. If you want to see the Sahara Desert, there’s no better place.
Atlas and a Camera 