Photo: Alamy

Source: Ancient ksour of Mauritania: Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Photo: Africa News

Source: Mauritania: Ancient manuscripts attract tourists to historic desert city

A few centuries ago, Tichitt was a citadel of trade where Saharan merchants bearing gold, salt and cloth would stop to water their camels and haggle. The trans-Saharan caravan route that flourished between the 11th and 19th centuries brought a steady stream of traders to Tichitt, en route to Timbuktu and settlements in the Niger river basin.

Source: Mauritania’s former desert jewel, forgotten and fading

Who could have thought that a medieval village surrounded by desert could be home to a long-forgotten world of books and libraries? Sitting amid the sands of Sahara, the village of Chinguetti in Mauritania was founded back in the 13th century as a trading center. This place portrays history as well as showcases architecture from the Berber culture. Not only this, the village was also a significant learning centre, thanks to its many desert libraries.

Source: Discovering the desert libraries of Chinguetti, a Mauritania village lost in time

These desert libraries have been around for centuries and they hold sacred texts from ancient times.

Source: Sahara Desert Libraries Are Home to Thousands of Ancient Texts

Source: Chinguetti World Heritage Site – Planeta.com

Photo: Remi Benali

Imagine up and leaving your hometown never to return again – that’s what happened in these ghost towns and lost cities which were once thriving and home to many inhabitants.

Source: These beautiful cities around world have been deserted and forgotten

Photo: North Africa Post

Read more from source