The 13th-century mosque is Chinguetti's most iconic structure — its square minaret topped with ostrich eggs is the image that appears on Mauritanian currency. Non-Muslims cannot enter, but the exterior and the surrounding old quarter are well worth exploring. The mud-brick architecture here represents one of the best-preserved examples of Saharan vernacular building in West Africa.
Chinguetti Mosque
13th-century mosque with minaret on Mauritanian currency
A story
The five ostrich eggs on top of the minaret are not decorative — they are an old Saharan signal that this is a sacred place. Other ksour have eggs too, but the Chinguetti minaret is the most famous, and the design now appears on the back of every Mauritanian banknote.