Atar's old quarter clusters around the original market area and contains some of the finest traditional Mauritanian mud-brick architecture outside of Chinguetti. The buildings are constructed of stone and dried mud in the classic Adrar style: thick walls for insulation against the desert heat, small windows, flat roofs with ornamental parapets. Some structures date from the 18th century or earlier.
The quarter is small and easy to walk in an hour. Look for the older mosques and the traditional merchants' houses with their carved wooden doors. The craftsmen's quarter has a handful of silversmiths working in the traditional Moorish style — silver rings, pendants, and the distinctive Mauritanian "Hand of Fatima" charms are all made here.