The most beautiful religious buildings Mauritania

The mosque of Chinguetti is a superb dry stone building, restored many times. It is one of the rare buildings of the old city still intact, and for good reason! You can see from far away its characteristic minaret, which served as a landmark for the faithful returning from the pilgrimage to Mecca. The mosque having been founded in the ^13th century, its minaret would be the second oldest still in use in the whole world! The four corners of its tower end in spikes on which are impaled ostrich eggs.

In the south of the city, the Moroccan mosque is a reference building in Nouakchott because its architecture reminds the great Koutoubia of Marrakech. It is characterized by its square minaret. Since you have come this far, take the opportunity to visit the Mauritanian tent market (khaimas), which is easy to spot. Also nearby, the SOCIM market is rather exotic with its stalls of fruits and vegetables, its sellers of coal, empty cans of motor oil and frying that are recovered to transport water ..

At the end of 2018, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania officially recognized the Catholic Church, allowing for an exchange of ambassadors with the Holy See. The parish of St. Joseph's Cathedral, erected in 1965 by Pope Paul VI, is a small haven of peace where one can stay if necessary. On Sundays, several masses are held: at 7:30 am, 9 am and 11 am. They are mainly attended by sub-Saharan Africans residing in Mauritania, who represent about 2,000 faithful, and about 40 different nationalities.

It dates from the ^14th century, but some parts, such as the minaret, were restored in the early ^20th century. It is in the neighborhood of the mosque that the last old houses of Tichit remain, beautifully decorated and with the typical architecture of Saharan ksour . In 2013, while Tichit hosted the Festival of Ancient Cities, the event allowed the rehabilitation of one hundred houses Tichittoises. The mosque has also benefited from this event, the large number of participants and guests have honored him.