Mauritania's Medieval Library Town Faces Desertification Threat
In Chinguetti, an ancient desert village in northern Mauritania, family-owned libraries housing over 1,000 manuscripts—some of the oldest in West Africa—are threatened by climate change. Temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster than the global average, rainfall is declining, and sandstorms are burying streets. Custodian Mohammed Abdullah Ould Gholam Habott, 51, has protected his family's library for 24 years, but his sons, aged 12 and 18, show no interest in succeeding him due to limited economic opportunities. Chinguetti, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, was a key trading outpost on the Timbuktu caravan route and a resting spot for pilgrims. The population of roughly 4,800 is declining as youth leave for work. Habott fears an 'ocean of sand' will engulf the town.
Key facts
- Chinguetti was established around 777 AD and means 'spring of horses' in the extinct Azayr language.
- The village is home to roughly 4,800 people.
- Temperatures can exceed 43°C during the day and drop to 10°C at night.
- Habott's library contains more than 1,000 pieces of Quranic manuscripts, legal texts, and scientific writings.
- The library has existed since the 1800s, and Habott is the eighth custodian.
- Chinguetti was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.
- Access to electricity only stabilized in 2013.
- Desertification threatens to bury the town as dunes reach window height.
Entities
Artists
- Mohammed Abdullah Ould Gholam Habott
Institutions
- UNESCO
Locations
- Chinguetti
- Mauritania
- West Africa
- Mecca
- Andalusia
- Spain
- Timbuktu
- Mediterranean
- Sahelian desert