It was once known as seventh holy city of Islam. It was also called the “City of Libraries” and home to the cultural elite of West Africa. Now Chinguetti is in the process of being swallowed up in its entirety by the desert and will disappear in a few generations.
Less than ten libraries and thousands of rare books remain including important Islamic manuscripts on religion, science and literature.
I hope an army of conservators and preservationists are on their way.
More at Messy Nessy Chic: The Lost Desert Libraries of Chinguetti