Description
MAURITANIA
15 days: mountains, oasis, rock art, African frescoes. Experience a true exploration of the Sahara, out of the beaten track; retrace an ancient caravan route through the larges t desert on earth.
A new exploratory expedition through Mauritania, an itinerary that is the result of many years of research in this part of the Sahara. The itinerary begins in Nouakchott, the capital, and soon we will travel along the main road through spectacular dune ranges. In the Adrar massif, surrounded by yellow sand, we will encounter nomad encampments and make a stop while drinking tea with them. In a universe of absolute aridity, we will discover lush oases hidden in canyons, palm-shaded gardens and typical adobe villages, huts and conical grass roofs.
Chinguetti has a magical atmosphere, one of the most well conserved oases in the whole Sahara. The ancient stone village dates to the thirteenth century, when Chinguetti was the seventh holiest city of Islam and the main caravan terminal in the western regions of Sahara. In the old quarter of the city, the Ksar, is a white stone mosque whose minaret is considered the second oldest still in operation in the world, a remarkable example of Arab-Berber stone architecture. We visit two ancient manuscript collections, the largest and the one held by a descendant of the family that has been collecting ancient Arabic manuscripts for centuries.
Ouadane was founded ‘only’ in 1147. It is the most remote oasis in Mauritania and the western outpost before the total vacuum…. Where we will continue.
Guelb er Richat is called the ‘Eye of Africa’ by geologists: a geological mystery, a series of three concentric rock circles, the largest of which is 40 kilometers (25 miles) in diameter.
The rarely visited El Ghallaouiya canyon is home to more than six hundred graffitied figures, warriors, horse-drawn chariots, hunters, wild animals and more, a unique “open-air gallery” that takes us back thousands of years, to the time before desertification, when the Sahara was a green savannah. From the abandoned colonial fort of El Ghallaouiya the real exploration begins beyond the horizon, hundreds of kilometers of virgin sand and continuous chains of dunes. We will sail along the immensity of Erg Ouarane. The only human traces we will be able to find in the coming
days will be prehistoric stone tools, silent testimonies of people who lived there thousands of years ago. A unique experience in the immensity, for days our direction will be decided only by the experience of our guides and the fictitious points of the GPS.
Aoukar, a series of escarpments creates a spectacular landscape of dark mountains. The range divides the great Ouarane dunes in the north from the Aoukar depression in the south. We will join an 11th-century caravan route connecting Oualata with the western part of Mauritania to discover Maghrouga, one of the most spectacular rock erosions in the Sahara: nature has sculpted a rocky massif in the shape of an elephant. Some graffiti depicting an archaic Berber alphabet (Tifinag) testify to an ancient human presence.
Following the caravan route, we arrive in Oualata, a World Heritage Site and unique for the traditional frescoes that decorate the facades of the adobe houses. The colorful arabesques and geometric patterns made exclusively by women make Oualata a unique oasis.
On the way back to Nouakchott we visit the camel and glass bead markets.
Day 1 – ARRIVAL IN MAURITANIA
Arrival in Nouakchott. Transfer and overnight
Day 2 – NOUAKCHOTT
As resume of Mauritanian history and culture, visit of the interesting National Museum which displays archeology, artifacts, costumes, and textiles from prehistory to the present days. Unique pictures taken during excavations of Aoudaghost, the northern trading town and better conserved site of the legendary Ghana Empire, that we will get in touch with on day 16th. Lunch in a restaurant managed by Ivorian women to taste their specialties. Afternoon driving along the northbound road in the Sahara Desert in a spectacular dune landscape to the mining town of Akjoujt.
Day 3 – ADRAR: DUNES AND MOUNTAINS
Early departure for an intense day visiting the even more scenic landscape of Mauritania: valleys, high mountains, yellow sand with dark brown and red rock peaks, remote adobe villages.
The Amatlich Erg is one of the most beautiful dune chains in the region. We will visit remote nomadic camps, oases and hidden adobe villages finding here and there prehistoric stone arrowheads, a fragment of terracotta: silent testimony of peoples who lived in these sites a long time ago, before desertification).
These human encounters after the immense silence of the Sahara are intense.
Evening arrival in Chinguetti.
Day 4 – CHINGUETTI, THE OASIS
Chinguetti is an ancient caravan terminal and an important trading point between North and Black Africa. The stone village, at a cross point of different caravan routes, dates back to the thirteenth century and is reckoned nowadays as the jewel of the Mauritanian oases.
We will spend the whole day in the magical atmosphere of this citadel, discovering among others, palm groves that shade vegetable gardens, a green miracle. In the old stone quarters, we will be invited to visit two ancient manuscript collections, including Ould Habott, the largest one in Mauritania. The white stone mosque considered the second ancient, still operating in the world. As remains of the colonial: the former French Foreign Legion fort and the tribunal building in Neo-Sudanese style.
The day will end on the highest dunes to enjoy the sunset over Chinguetti.
Return to our cozy base.
Day 5 – OUADANE, THE REMOTEST
Drive to Ouadane.
Ouadane, founded in 1147 on a rocky hill, is the most remote oasis in Mauritania, an outpost facing the immensity of the desert. Mainly in ruins, some of its stone houses are still inhabited. In ancient times, Ouadane was a caravan trading point between the Maghreb and black Africa. Trade was so flourishing that in 1487 the Portuguese built a fortified trading post in the region.
Day 6 – THE EYE OF AFRICA
Guelb er Richat, a geological mystery called by geologists the “Eye of Africa”, is a landmark for astronauts. Three concentric rock rings around an inland hill, the largest ring 40 kilometers (25 ml) in diameter. Geologists have formulated various hypotheses about the origins: the first is that the phenomena were caused by a huge meteorite that fell to earth. The most recent theory believes it is the result of erosion on a large volcanic dome.
Day 7 – ROCK ART: AN OPEN-AIR GALLERY
Off-road itinerary between spectacular rocky ranges with breathtaking views of the desert and possible encounter with remote groups of nomads.
The Trig Chauail Canyon is an impressive sight: flat rock surfaces covered with petroglyphs. The region hides more than 220 panels with 600 different motifs, a real “open-air” retrospective exhibition on the last 6 000 years of rock art in the Sahara: from the time before desertification (showing warriors, horses pulling chariots, livestock and wildlife such as elephants and antelopes) to more recent times (showing camels (dromedaries) that came to the Sahara with the final desertification, some 2000 years ago). Camp at the abandoned fort of El Ghallaouiya, built by the French colonial “camel battalions”, has the typical atmosphere of the foreign legion.
Days 8, 9, and 10 – IMMENSITY
Departure for total emptiness. We will find our way off the beaten track through the immensity of Erg Ouarane: large more than 800 kilometers of continuous dunes and virgin sand on the horizon, a pure Sahara experience.
GPS, compass, local guide and years of experience, will help us navigate through one of the least known parts of the Sahara, the largest desert on Earth, in its most perfect form, as only the imagination can represent.
After three days of total emptiness, the Aoukar mountains and the Maghrouga site will appear, one of the most spectacular rock erosions in the Sahara: nature has carved a rock massif in the shape of elephants. Some graffiti depicting an archaic Berber alphabet (Tifinag) bear witness to an ancient human presence.
Days 11 and 12 – AOUKAR, DENSELY INHABITED IN THE NEOLITHIC
Follow the Aoukar mountain chains is as difficult as spectacular. It was the shore of a large lake, now vanished in the desert, and remains of numerous prehistorical villages are hidden between rocks and sand. In that humid period, the region was highly inhabited. Some experts estimate that in the Neolithic the Aoukar was hosting a population of 400.000 inhabitants, being, at that time, one of the largest inhabited places on earth. Arrival to Oualata If in time, start the visit of this unique oasis.
Day 13 – OUALATA
Morning dedicated to discover Oualata, a World Heritage Site and a unique and spectacular oasis dating back to the 11th century. Hidden by rocky hills, it was an important caravan terminal in the Southern Sahara. The traditions of Oualata are still alive.
What makes adobe architecture special are the frescoes that decorate the entrances (and interiors) of the houses.
These frescoes are made exclusively by women who have handed down this technique from mother to daughter for centuries. Women of different ethnic groups in the West African savannah create complex frescoes that often hide symbolic meanings.
The frescoes show the cultural connection between the local Berber female population and the female traditions of Black Africa.
We will visit the small museum which exhibits a collection of manuscripts.
Afternoon drive to Nema small town, dinner and overnight in hotel, last night with the part of the group making 21 days expedition.
Day 14 and 15 – GLASS BEADS AND CAMEL MARKETS
Early morning departure in direction of Nouakchott leaded by a local driver.
On the way we visit a glass bead market in Kiffa. In Kiffa was one of the most famous bead centers in West Africa, beads made exclusively by women with a secret mix of glass powders (the ‘glass cream’).
To create these beads, which seem to have enchanted the whole of Africa, waste products such as pieces of glass bottles and pottery and terracotta shards were used. The shards were worked to obtain the beads in the desired shape, diamond, barrel, teardrop or simply round. The glass was pulverized and mixed with Arabic gum diluted in water. Mauritanian people organize their life and society on the timing of markets days. The markets and provide truly authentic experience of what life is like in Mauritania.
EXPEDITION LEADERS:
Alberto Nicheli, TransAfrica founder, has been travelling in North and West Africa since 1972. He has led more than a hundred expeditions in West Africa and sixty-six Sahara missions, including solo crossing of the desert, ethnological research on Tuareg and rock art, exploratory expedition retracing ancient caravan routes between Taoudenni salt mines in Mali and Oualata in Mauritania. He has organized the logistics of a documentary film on the caravans in the Sahara for Discovery Channel, assisted National Geographic photographers Angela Fisher and Carol Beckwith and organized the logistic of numerous research projects and television programs on West Africa. Alberto has an expertise in tribal art and in ancient to contemporary West African history.
EXPLORATORY ITINERARY: This travel program is an exploratory expedition. The itinerary is designed to experience fascinating places where foreigners don’t or hardly arrive. Scheduled itinerary, visits, are given as an indication and could be changed at the solo decision of the expedition leader. Wind, visibility, ground conditions, local authorities’ decisions, events of major force, technical, mechanical or other unexpected events may delay or change our schedule. TransAfrica can’t be considered liable for any changes and delays.
Participants must be flexible to full experience unique encounters, discoveries, and astonishing landscapes as much as some unexpected situations that are part of the “African experience”.
TRANSPORTS: 4WD, air-conditioned vehicles and logistic pick-up where needed. Local sailing boat at Banc d’Arguin.
MEDICAL and VACCINATIONS: Malaria prophylaxis: recommended for the first and last part of the itinerary (From Nouakchott to Chinguetti and from Oualata to Nouakchott).
VISA: required. Available at Nouakchott airport, on arrival (55 €).
MEALS: Lunches: cold meals, mainly picnics or at local restaurants (pre-selected menus).
Dinners: at the hotels (pre-selected menus).
At our mobile camps: simple but tasty hot dinners composed by fresh local products integrated by preserved food. Bottled mineral water included.
Please mention any diet prescription at the time of booking.
CAMPS: Camp in the immensity of Sahara is an unforgettable experience. Large, comfortable tents, with camp beds and mattress. There is space also for the chair. Nights in the Sahara can be cold and windy. Please, bring your own sleeping-bag or it is also possible to buy, at the arrival, a large and comfortable blanket that fit with the desert conditions.
LUGGAGE: Due to the nature of the itinerary, please limit your personal luggage to 45lb (20 kg), soft sacs are recommended.
INSURANCE: Mandatory for medical assistance (health care), repatriation, physical and material damages. TransAfrica will not be held responsible for any material and physical damages during or in consequence of the tour. Discover an insurance policy proposal: https://transafrica.biz/en/travel-insurance-en/.
