LIBRARIES
There are several private libraries in Chinguetti, all of which contain magnificent manuscripts, some of which are over 1,000 years old. These exceptionally calligraphic documents were used by scholars who studied and taught here, while others accompanied the faithful on their way to Mecca. There are an estimated 3,000 books in Chinguetti, mostly religious, divided into 12 collections.
One can visit some of these libraries, such as Ahel Alamane. One of the most representative is certainly that of the Melaïnine family, with a museum full of utilitarian objects of the time, which adjoins this library. Also worth seeing is that of the Al-Ahmed Mahmoud Foundation, which proudly displays its motto: "Knowledge is the only wealth that can be distributed without the risk of ruin." With a little luck, the owner of the place will give you a little lecture that he has the secret of in the inner courtyard. He will evoke the history, the big one, with the origin of the name Mauritania (born in 1899), but also the small one, as when 32 000 camels of a caravan passed in only one day in Chinguetti. He will also describe the objects gathered in the courtyard, such as millstones, mortars, an impluvium.
In the end, he will unveil some of his nuggets on paper, such as old Korans with illuminations, which he will take out of a dusty cupboard, but with gloves on. A strong experience, where humor is not absent!
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