Religious importance Chinguetti

the great friday mosque of chinguetti



inside qur anic library in chinguetti

for centuries city principal gathering place pilgrims of maghreb gather on way mecca. became known holy city in own right, pilgrims unable make long journey arab peninsula. became center of islamic religious , scientific scholarship in west africa. in addition religious training, schools of chinguetti taught students rhetoric, law, astronomy, mathematics, , medicine. many centuries of mauritania popularly known in arab world bilad shinqit, land of chinguetti. chinguetti locally said seventh-most holy city of islam, there no recognition of claim outside of west africa. city remains 1 of world s important historical sites both in terms of history of islam , history of west africa.

although largely abandoned desert, city features series of medieval manuscript libraries without peer in west africa. area around rue des savants once famous gathering place scholars debate finer points of islamic law. today quiet city still offers urban , religious architecture of moorish empire existed in middle ages.