The stone walls
On the slope.
Jah Abdul — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ammar Hassan — CC BY 2.0 · LBM1948 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · LBM1948 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Ancient Ksar of Ouadane is a historic stone town in central Mauritania on the southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, 93 km north-east of Chinguetti. It is one of the four ksour on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old town is partly in ruins but largely intact, with a small modern settlement beside it. Ouadane was a staging post in the trans-Saharan trade and for caravans carrying slabs of salt from the Idjil mines. It may have prospered from the Saharan gold trade. The geographer al-Bakri described a caravan route through the area in the mid-11th century. It is the closest town to the Richat Structure. You see houses and walls of brown and reddish dry stone stepping up a rocky slope, with narrow lanes between tall crumbling walls. From the top of the town a wide view spreads over a palm oasis in the valley and desert to the horizon. Golden light at sunset brings out the colour of the stone. The Richat Structure is about 31 km away in a straight line. The crumbling walls are unstable, so do not climb them. Carry water and a hat. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to parts of Adrar, including this area, so read the current advice before you plan.
On the slope.
Narrow and tall.
In the valley.
Ouadane, southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, Mauritania
It was a stop for salt and gold caravans across the Sahara.
Yes, the UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the area.