Tidjikja
The main town of the Tagant, an oasis settlement founded in the seventeenth century.
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Tidjikja was founded in 1660 and is the administrative centre of the Tagant, an oasis town split by a dry watercourse with the old quarter of stone houses on one side and the newer town on the other, and a large date palm grove running along the wadi. It is the base for reaching Tichitt and Ksar el Barka. The date harvest in summer brings people back from the cities in numbers.
What you actually see
- The old quarter - stone houses on one bank of the dry watercourse.
- The palm grove - the date plantation running along the wadi.
- The 1660 foundation - one of the older continuously inhabited towns in the country.
- The base function - where trips into the Tagant are arranged.
When to go
November to February is the cool season. The date harvest, the guetna, falls around July and August and the town fills. Summer heat is extreme.
Honest expectations
The road from Nouakchott takes around eight hours and part of it is rough. Accommodation is very basic. Onward travel to Tichitt needs a guide and vehicle arranged locally.
Nearby
Ksar el Barka is nearby, and Rachid is northwest.
What to pack for Tidjikja
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.