Chegga
Cheggat | |
|---|---|
  Chegga Location in Mauritania | |
| Coordinates: 25°22′23.89″N 5°47′14.12″W / 25.3733028°N 5.7872556°W | |
| Country | Mauritania |
| Region | Tiris Zemmour |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,200 ft) |
Chegga is an abandoned fort in the very northeastern part of Mauritania, close to the borders with Algeria and Mali. It has been a caravan stop for centuries. There are neolithic rock carvings in the oued 500 metres away from the fort, near a water source.[1][2]
Chegga consists of a mosque and a military fort. It was built by the French Foreign Legion and taken over by the Army of Mauritania after independence.[1]
A view of artisanal mining near Chegga
In 2019 president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani opened the surrounding military exclusion zone to prospecting on a limited basis, although technically foreigners can still be shot on sight. Chegga has since become a center of artisanal gold mining by Mauritanians and Malians using hand tools.[3]
An artisanal miner working in a mine near Chegga
References
- 1 2 "de Vries". Retrieved 2 December 2018. Hein and Wil de Vries' travel report
- ↑ Puigaudeau, Odette du; Sénones, Marion (1939). "Gravures rupestres du Hank (Sahara Marocain)". Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique de France (in French). 36 (11). JSTOR 27912955.
- ↑ McMakin, Wilson (7 July 2023). "Artisanal Miners on Shaky Ground in Mauritania". Inkstick. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
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