Horseshoe arches of XV century mosque, Ouadane, Mauritania
Ouadane or Wādān is a small town in the desert region of central Mauritania, situated on the southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, 93 km northeast of Chinguetti. The town was a staging post in the trans-Saharan trade and for caravans transporting slabs of salt from the mines at Idjil. The old town, a World Heritage Site, though in ruins, is still substantially intact, while a small modern settlement lies outside its gate. Tegherbeyat, the upper ruined section of the town, is almost certainly the oldest. It would have originally contained a mosque but nothing has survived. The ruins of the lower section of the town include a mosque that was probably built in the 15th century when the town expanded. Some of the horseshoe arches are still standing and some walls still have the remains of clay plaster, suggesting that the mosque was abandoned sometime in the 19th century. The mosque measured 24 m north–south at its eastern end and 17 m north–south at its western end where the minaret would have stood. From east to west it would have measured 15 m. The terrace was supported by five rows of horseshoe arches. At the eastern end are the remains of an external mirhab and a courtyard measuring 13 by 12 meters that would have been used in hot weather.
Size: 4016px × 6016px
Location: Ouadane, Adrar Region, Mauritania
Photo credit: © Roberto Cornacchia / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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