The Minister of Culture: Chinguetti will be the first archaeological city to have its isolation lifted.

The Minister of Culture, Arts, and Relations with Parliament, and the Government Spokesperson, Al-Hussein Ould Amadou, stated that the city of Chinguetti will be the “first Mauritanian archaeological city to have its isolation lifted.”

This announcement came during the conclusion of the 13th edition of the Cities of Heritage Festival on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, which took place in Chinguetti, northern Mauritania, from December 13 to 17.

The minister’s remarks were in reference to the road connecting Atar and Chinguetti, funded with 12 billion old ouguiyas. The project aims to “enhance economic and social connections in the region and improve transportation and services.”

The funding for the Atar-Chinguetti project also includes the construction of a “clinic, two schools, and the Chinguetti Institute for Quranic Studies,” which are expected to be completed within several months to a year, according to the minister.

The Mauritanian government has also established a development component specifically dedicated to the growth of Chinguetti and addressing the issues faced by its residents, with an allocated budget of 4 billion ouguiyas.

In an interview with Sahara 24, the Minister of Culture noted that “Chinguetti is benefiting for the first time from this development component, which is a governmental partnership involving efforts from 19 ministerial sectors.” He pointed out that the budget allocated for Chinguetti this year is higher than the amounts allocated in the past three editions, as funding ranged between 2.8 billion and 3.9 billion old ouguiyas for each of the historical cities (Oualata, Tichit, and Ouadane).

Additionally, the minister emphasized that “this development component has achieved most of its objectives,” contributing to “transforming the conditions of the residents” by addressing “water and electricity issues” in the city.