Another tour of Nouakchott, the capital city and economic hub of Mauritania.

Since we have one more day in Mauritania, we will continue to explore this unique capital city, Nouakchott. Not too long ago, Nouakchott was known as a small fishing town, a fortified fishing village (ksar) in pre-colonial times and under French rule. As Mauritania prepared for independence, it lacked a capital city. The area of present-day Nouakchott was chosen by Moktar Ould Daddah, the first President of Mauritania, and his advisors. Ould Daddah desired the new capital to symbolize modernity and national unity, which ruled out existing cities or towns in the interior. The village was selected as the capital city for its central location between Saint-Louis, Senegal, the city from which the colony of Mauritania was governed, and Nouadhibou. Its location also meant that it avoided the sensitive issue of whether the capital was built in an area dominated by the Arabs, Amazigh (Berbers), or Sub-Saharan Africans. The tour of this administrative city continues.

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A big modern city with a strategic location.

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Administrative center of Mauritania 🇲🇷

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The new capital city built after the independence of Mauritania 🇲🇷