Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mauritania has a strong tradition of arts and craftwork, especially silverwork. Most prized
are wooden chests with silver inlays, but there are also silver daggers, silver and amber
jewellery, earthtone rugs of camel hair, and hand-dyed leatherwork, including colourful
leather cushions and leather pipe pouches, camel saddles and sandals.
The traditional music of Mauritania is mostly Arabic in origin, although along its south-
ern border there are influences from the Wolof, Tukulor and Bambara. One of the most
popular Mauritanian musicians is Malouma. She has created what is called the 'Saharan
blues' and is to Mauritania what Cesária Évora, is to Cape Verde.
There's some superb traditional architecture in the ancient Saharan towns in the Adrar
as well as in Oualâta.
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Food & Drink
The desert cuisine of the Moors is rather unmemorable and lacks variety. Dishes are gen-
erally bland and limited to rice, mutton, goat, camel or dried fish. With negligible agricul-
ture, fruit and vegetables are imported, and hard to find outside Nouakchott. Mauritanian
couscous, similar to the Moroccan variety, is delicious. A real treat is to attend a
méchoui
(traditional nomads' feast), where an entire lamb is roasted over a fire and stuffed with
cooked rice.
The cuisine of southern Mauritania, essentially Senegalese, has more variety, spices and
even a few vegetables. Look for rice with fish and
mafé
(a groundnut-based stew).
Mauritanian tea is also ubiquitous, invariably strong, sweet and endlessly decanted
between tiny glasses to produce a frothy head. It's polite to accept the first three glasses
offered.
Zrig
(unsweetened curdled goat or camel milk) often accompanies meals served
in private homes. Alcohol is technically forbidden but is sometimes openly (and expens-
ively) available in Nouakchott restaurants.
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Environment
Mauritania is about twice the size of France. About 75%, including Nouakchott, is desert,
with huge expanses of flat plains broken by occasional ridges, sand dunes and rocky plat-
eaus, including the Adrar (about 500m high).
