Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata

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Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt, and Oualata: A Testament to Islamic Culture in Western Sahara

The Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt, and Oualata are a group of four historic settlements located in the Sahara Desert region of present-day Mauritania. These ksour (plural for ksar) were established during the 11th and 12th centuries to cater to the needs of the caravan trade routes traversing the desert. In 1996, they were collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, acknowledging their significance as repositories of Islamic culture and traditional architecture in the western Sahara.

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

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.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

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.

Encyclopedia Record: Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata

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