Nouakchott trip planner

Nouakchott, which means "place of the winds" in Berber language, serves as the capital and largest city of Mauritania, and one of the largest cities in the Sahara. Once a small village of negligible importance, the city expanded rapidly after 1958, when the fledgling nation selected it as capital. With a baffling mix of urban and nomad lifestyles, a tour of Nouakchott reveals idiosyncratic connections of Saharan traditions, where tents and street markets juxtapose mosques and government buildings. Meanwhile, massive sand dunes encroach at the borders, adding to the intriguing sense of flux. Use our international travel planner: Nouakchott and all its delights await.