Amourj (Hodh Ech Chargui) — Pastoral Country on the Mali Border
Amourj is one of the seven moughataas (departments) of the Hodh Ech Chargui region in Mauritania. It lies in the far south-east of the country…
Wilaya · Néma
Hodh Ech Chargui
Hodh Ech Chargui region: Oualata, UNESCO-listed for its wall decoration, and Néma at the end of the Route de l'Espoir.
Hodh Ech Chargui is Mauritania's largest region, in the far south-east on the Mali border. Its capital is Néma.
Its jewel is **Oualata**, a 13th-century town and the fourth Mauritanian site on the UNESCO list. What sets it apart is its decoration: the women of the town paint red and white geometric motifs on house façades and interiors, in a tradition passed from generation to generation. There are also manuscript libraries and a museum.
Oualata was a major stage on the caravan route between Timbuktu and North Africa; Ibn Battuta crossed it in 1352 and left a description.
**Néma** marks the end of the Route de l'Espoir from Nouakchott — nearly 1,200 km. **Bassikounou** and **Amourj** are two border towns in herding country.
The journey to Oualata is long and needs planning: at least four days there and back from Nouakchott.
Destinations
Regions of Hodh Ech Chargui
🇲🇷 Mauritania
Oualata
Beauty in the east. Welcome to Oualata — or, as some say, the most beautiful town in Mauritania. It is here, where the famous…
🇲🇷 Mauritania
Néma
Néma lies at the far eastern edge of Mauritania, some 1,200 km east of the capital Nouakchott, along the eastern and south-eastern…
🇲🇷 Mauritania
Timbédra
Timbédra — also written Timbedgha — lies in the Hodh Ech Chargui region of south-eastern Mauritania and ranks among the…
Other places in Hodh Ech Chargui
Selected journeys
