Tichit

Tagant Region, Mauritania

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Tichit is a small village located in the Tagant Region of central southern Mauritania, notable for its ancient stone settlements that date back to around 2000 BCE, making it one of the oldest surviving archaeological sites in West Africa.

Situated at the foot of the Dhar Tichitt plateau, the village was historically an important trading and cultural center, linked to agro-pastoral communities that practiced farming, livestock rearing, and salt trading. The region features vernacular architecture with stone houses and a historic mosque, reflecting its Islamic heritage established under the Almoravid Empire in the 11th century.

Tichit was a crossroads for trade caravans and cultural exchange, thriving especially between the 12th and 17th centuries, but declined with the disruption of trans-Saharan trade routes in the 19th century. Today, Tichit is a remote and relatively isolated place, with a rich cultural legacy recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracting archaeologists and visitors interested in its deep historical roots.