5 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Mauritania - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Mauritania

Choum, Mauritania

Mauritania Railway

Climb atop one of the world's longest and heaviest trains for an unbelievable journey across the Sahara Desert.

Ouadane, Mauritania

Richat Structure

A geological bull's-eye visible from outer space.

Chinguetti, Mauritania

The Libraries of Chinguetti

Five ancient libraries nearly unchanged since medieval times are slowly being eaten by the desert.

Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Bay of Nouadhibou Ship Graveyard

The world's largest ship graveyard is the product of decades of corruption.

Moroccan Western Sahara Wall

This fortified sand barrier dividing a contested territory is the longest minefield in the world.

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Stories
About Mauritania

The oldest intact pigments ever found are about the color of a sunset.

Found: The First Color Made By a Living Thing

It's 1.1 billion years old, and it's bright pink.