Kaédi (Gorgol) — Mauritania's Capital of Dyeing and Earthen Architecture
On the right bank of the Senegal River, some 440 km south-east of Nouakchott, stands Kaédi, capital of the Gorgol region: a town that grew from…
Wilaya · Kaédi
Gorgol
Gorgol region: Kaédi, its earthen architecture and traditional dyeing, and the Foum Gleita dam.
Gorgol is a river region of southern Mauritania. Its capital, Kaédi, stands on the bank of the Senegal River.
**Kaédi** is known for its **traditional dyeing** — indigo cloth and tying techniques passed down among women. It also holds a district designed by the African architect André Ravéreau in local earth, an architectural experiment many have come to study.
The **Foum Gleita dam**, near M'Bout, irrigates a wide farming area; the lake it forms draws birds and fishermen.
The region is a cultural crossroads: Fulani, Soninke and Hassaniya speakers live side by side, and it shows in the markets, the music and the cooking.
The best time follows the rainy season, when the river is high and the land green.