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Oualata
Arabic:
walata
Town in Mauritania with 3,000 inhabitants. Oualata is situated in Sahara, in the south-eastern corner of the country.
The town is built on a high terrace, and has a very distinctive architecture, that is known for intricate ornamentation being made by the families themselves.
The economic base of the town is trade and some agriculture. Oualata's fame is connected to its position as a centre of Islamic learning, of which it has been one of the leading in West Africa through several centuries. The madrasa in town is still very active, giving room for 20 students at the time, students coming from many different Muslim countries. Oualata is also used as a town for internal exile of Mauritanian political prisoners.
Oualata has an airstrip, but no surfaced roads.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
Photo: Margaret Courtney-Clarke/Corbis
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