Hodh El Gharbi

Hodh El Gharbi lies in south-eastern Mauritania. Its capital is Aïoun el Atrouss; the country is plains, salt flats and seasonal wadis.

It holds two archaeological sites of the first rank.

**Koumbi Saleh** is very probably the capital of the **Ghana Empire**, the oldest of the great West African empires, which prospered between the 8th and 11th centuries on the gold and salt trade. Excavations have uncovered a stone town, a mosque and necropolises.

**Tegdaoust** is identified with **Aoudaghost**, a merchant city that 10th-century Arab geographers describe as a flourishing caravan stage between the Maghreb and the lands to the south.

**Tamchekett** is an old town in the north of the region.

These sites remain little developed and need a local guide — but their historical value far exceeds what the signage shows.