Tidjikja

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.

Background

The capital of the Tagant region, Tidjikja stands at 321 metres on the Tagant plateau. It has around 11,000 inhabitants and its own airport, and the town is noted for its palms and its local style of building. Average yearly rain is 149 mm, with 56 mm of it in August, and June brings average highs of 41.1 °C. Each year a Date Festival draws hundreds of visitors from across Mauritania to the large Bathaa, where each tent covers a theme of oasis life, such as farming advice, the traditional medicine of Ehel Maghary or displays of dates. An NGO approved on August 30, 2017, the Association for the Safeguarding of the Ghadima, works on restoring the old Ksar.

Source: Wikipedia, "Tidjikja"

The main sights

• 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.

What to expect

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.

Key facts