The central market of Nouakchott is the place to understand how this improvised capital actually works. Stalls sell everything from electronic components and mobile phones to dried spices, fabric, and plastic goods. The food sections — live animals, dried fish, sacks of millet and rice — reflect a population still partly feeding itself in the old nomadic way.
The market is chaotic, dense, and overwhelming in the heat, but it repays a patient wander. The boubou textile sellers near the north entrance are worth seeking out — the embroidered robes on sale here are among the finest produced in the region. Bring small bills; haggling is universal.