Things to see and do Sahara

Built on the road leading to the great Aswan Dam, it is impossible to miss this imposing and strange building whose architect seems to be inspired by a mixture of Nubian art and Soviet style. In the tradition of propaganda museums developed by every Egyptian president, the latter, inaugurated in early 2016, pays a heartfelt tribute to former Marshal Abdel Fattah al Sissi, elected two years earlier. But for once, there is no question of the greatness of the Egyptian army. The hero is the Nile, represented at the entrance by a fountain that rises to the ceiling. The eleven African flags, hung all around, are a reminder of the continuum that exists between these countries and the solidarity that should flow from it.

Right wing: a tribute to the Aswan dams. After the medals awarded by Nasser and the USSR to the builders of the 1964 dam, an ancient Egyptian waxwork takes a break. Without further explanation, the window next door displays a letter from Nasser celebrating the Aswan Dam and a letter from al Sissi praising the Nile Museum. The massive models of the 1898 and 1964 dams are of great interest. It is easy to see that the older one let more water through thanks to its hundred or so small openings, whereas the new dam has only about forty small windows. A junk shop window in the corridor follows, where different types of national pride are jostling for position.

Left wing: memorial objects. The fashion for holograms also seems to have reached Egypt. The first is Alaa Bacha Mubarak, the inventor of the Qanater dams north of Cairo. The second, in the background, is the Minister of Irrigation at the inauguration of this museum. The room is dotted with objects belonging to some countries of the Nile basin and technologies that were used in the construction of the Aswan dam.

^1st floor. The eleven "brother" countries were asked to furnish it, but the small number of donations says a lot about the political divisions that remain deep. It is, all the same, the only space in the museum where the daily life of the people of the Nile is evoked through paintings by Egyptian artists. Crowded aquariums close the visit.

Archive library. Open on request, it is a gold mine for those looking for archive photos, old newspaper articles and original maps of the Aswan Dam

At the top of this hill of granite blocks where hieroglyphics and pharaonic drawings can still be seen very clearly, a stele tells of a particularly difficult episode in the reign of Djeser (3rd dynasty) in the year 19. On this rock, recognizable by the fault that crosses it in the middle from left to right, about 40 lines of hieroglyphs evoke the terrible drought that had been raging for seven years to the despair of the king and the population. Here is an excerpt: "I was in sorrow on my throne.... My heart was in such great sorrow because the Nile had not come in time for seven years. The grain was scarce, the seeds were dried up, all we had to eat was in meager quantity. "The priests believe that the angry god Khnum, who is holding back the waters of the Nile, is responsible. To appease him, Djeser is seen making offerings to the god. The scriptures detail the dream of the most important priest of the kingdom in which the deity appears and promises the return of the water. The next day, the king passes a decree to renovate the temple of Khnum on Elephantine Island and to furnish it more regularly with offerings.

Panorama of the old dam. Climbing on this rocky hill (forget the flip-flops, by the way) also gives a better understanding of what the Nile and Nubia looked like before the Aswan dam wanted by Nasser. The first flat island just in front of it was then under water.

This elevated garden, rich in opulent tree species, was created by King Farouk in honour of his daughter Féryal. Rendezvous for families and lovers. A pleasant break after visiting the Nubian Museum which is only a few meters away. The view is the same as that of the Old Cataract, which a small wall separates from the garden. There are paths running through it, and the vegetation is very rich. The locals walk there with friends and family.

Across the road, you'll find the Fatimid cemetery. Charming place overlooking the Nile and Elephantine Island.

This introduction to Nubian daily life and the history of the region is highly recommended. It will give you an understanding of the conflicts in the community and the complex relations with the Egyptian authorities. Aware that the Nubian heritage was in danger of disappearing, Mohammed and his wife Fatma took it upon themselves to build this small museum on the ground floor of their own house. Mohammed will show you all the objects from a Nubian house, a series of stuffed animals from Lake Nasser and Nubian stones.

Built in 1995 only thanks to private donations, the Cathedral of Archangel Michael is the second largest cathedral in Egypt. Its 3,500 square meters can hold 3,000 worshippers. This cathedral is home to the Orthodox Christians. Beyond the nave richly decorated with oak wood icons, it impresses above all by its two 44-metre high towers. Its white dome rises above the cornice. It is located a few meters from the Nubian Museum.

The site consists of a small museum and the archaeological site of Egyptian ruins.

Museum. Interesting collection of pharaonic statuettes, pottery and jewellery.

Archaeological site. Excavations have uncovered objects dating back to Thutmosis III (18th Dynasty). It is here that the temple of Khnum was erected but destroyed in the 19th century by Mohammed Ali.

Nilometer. Several times restored, this scale of measurement dates from the cartouches of Amenophis III

Halfway between Cairo and Luxor, Asyut was the starting point for the caravans that went to the oases. Formerly called Lycopolis, the Greeks commemorated the cult of Oupouaout, who was seen as the protector of the city. This deity is represented in the form of a canid. The burial caves, which can be seen on the site, are dug into the mountain walls and are thought to contain the tombs of the pharaohs of Dynasties IX, X and XII, such as Chety I and II. The tomb of Meir contains the tomb of the Princes of Qusseia.

With its leaning minaret, this austere mosque is dazzlingly white. The view is superb! A legend is attached to this troglodyte monument. This place would shelter the cave where took refuge a group of believers fleeing persecutions related to their faith. They would have woken up there after a sleep of... 309 years! The place presents another particularity just as enigmatic: the presence of several giant tombs of 5 meters whose origin remains to this day unexplained.

Built between 1964 and 1970, this impressive dam has pharaonic dimensions: 3,600 m long, 111 m high, 980 m wide at the base, reduced to 40 m at the top. It was President Nasser's project, carried out with the help of Soviet Russia. Today, it produces between 5 and 7% of the country's energy with 12 generators. It was built to manage the Nile's high water levels, prevent flooding and create a water reserve. It has been blamed for reducing the Nile's silt content. Its construction caused major displacement of the population and archaeological sites.

Early in the morning, the square turns into a gigantic cattle fair where, in a feverish atmosphere, the merchants count their tickets and engage in a noisy bidding war. A sale of leather whips, skillfully woven, is organized. The camel market itself is held twice a week, on Saturdays and Sundays, and the rest of the week the place is transformed into a market of cows, sheep, goats... Introduced by the Greeks, camels are not among the animals originally used by the Egyptians.

To the west of the enclosure, some three hundred meters north of that of his father Seti ^I, Ramses II had a small temple built, comprising a courtyard, 2 hypostyle halls and side chapels. On the pylon, the king had his victory at the Battle of Qadesh depicted. Despite the loss of the upper parts of the walls, the lower parts show remarkable decoration. Its architecture is classical and its layout follows that of Theban funerary temples. In 2023, 2,000 mummified rams' heads from the Ptolemaic era were discovered.

At the foot of the West Mountain, near Quseya. This is one of the most sacred places for the Copts of Egypt. Surrounded by an imposing medieval wall, it was built around a grotto where the Holy Family is said to have found shelter when they fled to Egypt, before returning to Palestine. The oldest church in the monastery dates back to 38 AD, and is believed to be the oldest in the Christian world. An important stopover for pilgrims following in the footsteps of the Holy Family in Egypt.

The Osirion Cenotaph is a curious edifice, built in line with the central chapel of Amun Ra in the temple of Sety ^I, and buried underground. It was accessed via a hundred-meter-long corridor, opposite to the current view of the site. Today, the temple is reached via a long, gently sloping corridor, the walls of which are covered with texts from the "Book of Gates" and the "Book of Caverns". A cenotaph was not intended to contain a body, but a symbolic tomb for souls, so this was Osiris' spiritual tomb. It was conceived as an island, the plan of which is repeated in The Secret of the Great Pyramid when Blake and Mortimer reach the secret chamber.

The vestibule gave access to a water-filled moat, surrounded by 17 niches. On the symbolic island, covered by a ceiling supported by ten massive pillars, the architect excavated the fictitious location of Osiris' sarcophagus, as well as the fictitious location of the canopic vases containing the God's viscera. Crossing the water-filled moat again, we reach the cenotaph of Sety ^I. The themes depicted on the walls are a mark of respect for Horus, the reconstitution of the divine body, and the transmission of royal power from Osiris to Horus, and thus to Pharaoh. You can go down there if you wish, water levels permitting. The last room, known as the "sarcophagus", features an astronomical ceiling with a representation of the goddess Nut.

Doctor Ahmed's garden is an institution in Sainte-Catherine, where the work and cultivation of the doctor, a specialist in medicinal herbs, are recognized. He has set up a school on his estate, where he teaches local Bedouin children to perpetuate the knowledge he has accumulated. Visits to the garden and accommodation can be arranged through most Sainte-Catherine operators. You can also call him to order products (everyone knows him locally).

the "Fjord" is the nickname of this cove in the Gulf of Aqaba with its sublime colors. Located 15 km south of Taba, the Fjord is a diving site sheltered by a protected bay. The coral reefs are dazzling. Experienced divers can venture into the Fjord hole, a coral bed at a depth of 16 meters, with a hole that goes down to 24 meters. Less experienced divers will observe the wide variety of fish and corals in the shallow banana shaped reef. For the others, enjoy the calm of the bay and the turquoise waters.

A collection of 300 rock tombs from the ^1st and ^2nd centuries AD. The themes are typical of Egyptian tombs: offerings, encounters between the deceased and deities. But the style is freer, and the human figures are more Roman. Little visited, protected from the sun, the frescoes still possess their pictorial freshness. The most spectacular tombs are those of Petosiris, a royal official, and Petoubastis, another oasis official; the second tomb, less decorated, has an elaborate and remarkable zodiac.

Amun-Her-Khepeshef was one of the five sons of King Ramses III. He was supposed to succeed his father, but died at the age of 15. Access to the vestibule and burial chamber is via a descending ramp. This depicts the prince preceded by his father, whom he presents to the deities. Extracts from the Book of the Dead are read. The sarcophagus, located in the back annex, originally rested in the burial chamber. The paintings are still very fresh.

This small late Ptolemaic temple, dedicated to Hathor and Maät, gave its name to the valley when Coptic monks established a small monastery there. It has little prestige, yet it is worth a visit. The quality of its reliefs and the interest of the themes covered make it an important place. Several scenes are put into perspective, such as the representation of King Ptolemy IX offering milk to a child on Hathor's lap. We see Maat breathing life into her.

Inerkhaou was Pharaoh's foreman, Lord of the Two Lands. He served Ramses III and IV. Entrance is via a vestibule followed by a staircase that leads to the burial chamber. Passages from the Book of the Dead are illustrated on the walls of both rooms, the vestibule being less well preserved than the chamber. A fine representation of the Ished tree, in blue, and of the god Apophis are particularly noteworthy. After the tomb of Sennedjem, this is one of the best-preserved tombs. The singular paintings do not fit into the artistic canon of the period.

Sennedjem was a special craftsman: he was an artist who had the opportunity to work under the glorious reigns of Seti ^I and his son Ramses II. You enter through the side wall into a single, vaulted chamber. The richness of the decoration is unusual for a craftsman, and is reminiscent of a royal tomb, but its recipient was also its author... Scenes from the Book of the Dead are depicted, as well as Sennedjem and his wife Inyferti. This is the only tomb in the Valley to have been found complete, and its furnishings are on display in Cairo.

Khaemwasat is one of the sons of Ramses III. He died in the 28th year of his royal father's reign. One enters a vestibule dominated by an astronomical ceiling. On the left wall of the vestibule, Ramses III, followed by his sons, faces Thoth and Anubis. Two annexes face the vestibule: the deceased is presented to different deities. The funerary chamber succeeds the vestibule; its walls are decorated according to the Book of the Dead. The sarcophagus is no longer there: found in pieces, it can be seen in part in the Egyptian Museum in Turin.

A palm grove in the middle of the Tekemkent oasis, which has a botanical garden with fruit trees: pomegranate trees, grapefruit trees, mango trees, banana trees, lemon trees. The vegetable garden is filled with aromatic plants: basil, lemon grass, mint... An oasis that wears its name divinely well! You will even have the possibility of bathing in a large basin in the shade of the date palms... A basin which is also used to water all the plants of the garden. This palm grove also has tents and toilets for accommodation.

Ramses IV reigned for six years, during which time he built this beautiful tomb with its remarkable granite sarcophagus. Note the superb scenes painted with the goddess Nut on the astronomical ceiling, symbolizing rebirth with perfectly preserved colors. Nut swallows the solar disk and it emerges through her feet, symbolizing the daily renewal of sunrise and sunset. Coptic graffiti, created by monks at the very beginning of the Christian era when they were inventing monasticism, are also noteworthy.

In the center of Nouadhibou, in the old quarters, the central market is a real anthill where you can find superb handicrafts. Chests, bracelets and jewelry are offered for sale. You will have to take your time and have a good sense of negotiation! You will also find beautiful fabrics, which seamstresses will be happy to work on to make the garment of your choice. The most difficult thing will be to choose among the countless colors and patterns available!

Like Ouadane, Oualata and Chinguetti, Tichitt is full of century-old manuscripts with delicate illuminations, witnesses of a past and splendid period, during which the religious studied Islam, sciences and other fields, in the greatest seriousness. You can visit one of these libraries, modest in appearance but containing treasures of calligraphy, preserved with great difficulty for centuries. A guard will put on thick gloves before gently manipulating the pages of these manuscripts before your amazed eyes.

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.

Created in 1996, they produced their first harvest in 1999. Their goal is to diversify the food supply of the inhabitants of Oualata, to provide a complementary source of income to the 60 families who operate them and to fix the population in the region thanks to 2 reservoirs which, in the hot season, work with solar panels. If you have the chance to meet one of the 2 engineers who work there, visit them with him, you will be amazed. The water is first pumped from a non-permanent water table, raised and then stored in a reservoir, the pressure exerted making it naturally flow back down to the gardens.

Then, the irrigation system set up allows to save water by allocating to each plant the flow that is necessary for it. This technique has made it possible to introduce species that would have been incompatible with the climate of the region. We discover date palms, jujube trees, baobabs, lemon trees, mandarin trees, mango trees and even vines! Vegetables are not forgotten with tomatoes, beans and onions consumed fresh on the spot or dried. So much so that the market garden production is today superior to the consumption of the inhabitants! Fruits and vegetables are exported to Néma. The gardens also produce compost from camel dung, medicinal plants and natural insecticides. This vegetation attracts a lot of game, including a few hares, which are an important food supplement for those who trap them.

Like the three other ancient cities of Mauritania, Ouadane, Chinguetti and Tichitt, Oualata is home to treasures in its library, preserved by chance and with care by the inhabitants through time, sometimes with the means at hand! In the room to the right are old manuscripts belonging to the four families of Oualata. Opposite is the library of Taleb Boubekar, traditional chief of the city, who died around 1915. This library is full of centuries old writings, vestiges of another time.

In the old city, you must visit the small store that Meîja has installed. She explains how the women of Oualata reproduce the houses and the decorations specific to this city, down to the smallest details. Indeed, it is the women who take care of the superb wall decoration of the houses of Oualata, the red capital of the Mauritanian desert. Geometric shapes drawn with clay, whose miniature reproductions are known throughout the country, and can serve as beautiful souvenirs.

There is no need to show you the way to get there: perched on a promontory, you can see it clearly while you are still 30 minutes from Oualata. Built in 1912, it successively housed the French army during the pacification of the region, then political prisoners from the independence of Mauritania. Since 1990, the authorities have closed this prison. The triangular building is impressive and appears to be in a perfect state of preservation, seen from the outside. Inside, around the courtyard, the prisoners' cells are scattered. It is hard to imagine what the conditions of the men incarcerated here were like not so long ago. A small opening allowing a little light to pass through, a living space reduced to a minimum, because the cells were crowded, the diseases, the heat and the mistreatment must have made the life expectancy very limited. One comes out of this fort with shivers down one's spine.

It is possible to admire Oualata by taking the stairs on the left, just after the entrance of the fort. You are then on the roof of the cells! Going back down from the fort towards Oualata, on the right, the French cemetery shelters a dozen graves, among which the one of Bonnel de Mézières who administered the region at the beginning of the ^XXth century. Passionate about archaeology, he contributed greatly to the excavations carried out at Aoudaghost and Koumbi Saleh.

Warning: Before considering a visit, inquire about the feasibility of the site with local tourism professionals.

Just before reaching the economic capital of Mauritania, the Etoile bay is astonishing by the shape of the rocks sculpted by erosion that surround it. It is almost closed and is an ideal shelter for passing sailboats or kitesurfing. This bay has revealed many archaeological sites, unfortunately very degraded since the expansion of Nouadhibou. For the amateurs, Adama (+222 465 307 23) manages an oyster farm, where you can taste excellent oysters. It is located in front of the Auberge des Dolphins.

Even if it is extremely difficult to visit them if you don't know a member of the SNIM staff, it is worth a try. In an atmosphere charged with a reddish dust, you wander under an unbearable heat, consequence of the sun but also of the furnaces, while taking care of the steel monsters which carry the ore and while startling with each shooting of mines... An impression of the end of the world, Dantesque and terrifying at the same time! Unfortunately, these mines are the scene of many work accidents, most of the time quite serious.

The city has 8 symbols that you may not visit all of: the street of the 40-Savants, the House of Arms, the new mosque, the fortifications, the old mosque, the three houses of the city's founders, the fortified well and, finally, the two towers erected to control access to the well.

Good plan: in the house of Haj Yacoub, stand on the balcony and enjoy the soothing sound of the wind in the palm trees, while the gaze stretches far out into the desert, towards Chinguetti...

Ouadane was finally abandoned for 3 reasons: the cement (banco) was dissolving under the rain, termites were making the roofs collapse and finally the wind. In the lower part of the old city, to avoid quarrels concerning the delimitation of plots of land in case the sand would cover the enclosures, the foundations of these are 2 meters deep, thus preventing any dispute!

The ancient city was the object of restorations with the drip, according to the budgets received. In 2002, Portuguese funding allowed the rehabilitation of the mosque, the Rue des 40-Savants and some houses. Elsewhere, many walls and facades are in unstable balance. Fatalistically, the guide will tell you that it has been like this for so many years, so why worry? The guide will prove to be indispensable, because the points of interest are numerous and difficult to spot by a neophyte. It is easy to get lost in this gigantic labyrinth, which is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Several private libraries exist in Ouadane. You will discover there superb manuscripts. One of the most interesting is certainly that of Sidi Mohamed Ould Abidin Sidi (✆ +222 44 95 52 10). He likes to repeat that the conservation of these treasures faces many obstacles, the first of which is himself! So there is no reason to blame him for showing only manuscripts that are only 2 or 3 centuries old: he has the rightness of mind to keep the oldest ones safe, to show them only to researchers. Who can blame him?

Mauritanian cement, otherwise known as banco, is used as a binder for building houses. In Chinguetti, it has been extracted for centuries from a mine located less than a kilometer southeast of the city. One can access underground galleries of several hundred meters, by letting oneself go down to the bottom of a well hung on a beast skin. It is obviously not of any rest, but the discovery of these labyrinthine galleries is astonishing. They are several meters high in some places and leave barely enough space to crawl in others.

We should rather speak of the buildings of the fort, because it is a set of several constructions that constitutes the former French garrison at the time of colonization. In January 1909, Chinguetti fell into the hands of the French legionnaires who, 10 years later, built Fort Claudel, in honor of one of their commanders. The most important building of the fort is made up of imposing pillars that support beautiful arcades. The Claudel post, rehabilitated in 1983, bears witness to the colonial architectural heritage in Mauritania.

North of Nouadhibou, until 1997, around 300 monk seals had been counted here and along the Western Sahara coast. When you consider that the world population of this species has dwindled to just 500 individuals, it's easy to see how vital the Cap Blanc reserve is, especially as the remaining monk seals are scattered in several small colonies and therefore not very viable. In 1997, the authorities found 150 monk seals stranded on the beach, not counting those that may have died at sea. The cause of this catastrophe has never been fully elucidated... There have been suggestions of a virus or the animals ingesting toxic algae.

In any case, the current political situation in Western Sahara prevents any reliable census of the surviving monk seals.

Several dozen are present on the Atlantic coast, 30 km north of Nouadhibou, but in the Western Sahara. A Spanish NGO, in cooperation with Mauritania, is working to protect the species. Today, meeting a monk seal at the foot of the Cap Blanc cliff is utopian, even if the museum's janitor keeps the legend alive. If you'd like to take up the challenge, arm yourself with patience, a good camera and a stroll along the wind-sculpted coastline. If you can't spot a monk seal, you'll probably see plenty of birds, and be able to pick up a nice harvest of shells!