Wilaya · Tidjikdja
Tagant
The Tagant plateau: UNESCO-listed Tichitt, the Matmata guelta and its crocodiles, Ksar El Barka and rock art.
The Tagant is a rocky plateau in central Mauritania, cut by deep valleys that hold water all year. Its capital is Tidjikdja.
**Tichitt**, a 12th-century town, is the fourth Mauritanian city on the UNESCO list alongside Chinguetti, Ouadane and Oualata. Its houses are built of local stone in many shades, set between an erg and a salt flat.
The most striking site is the **Matmata guelta**, a permanent pool where **Nile crocodiles** live — an isolated population, a remnant of the time when the Sahara was green. Nearby, El Housseiniya with its hanging gardens.
**Ksar El Barka** is the site of an abandoned city, and **Tamourt en-Na'âj** a seasonal lake that draws birds. The region holds many Neolithic rock engravings.
Access is from Nouakchott via Moudjeria; the last stretch requires a 4x4.
Destinations
Regions of Tagant
Selected journeys
