Tidjikja () is the capital of the Tagant region of central

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

, lying on the

Tagant plateau The Tagant Plateau is located in eastern Mauritania, forming a stony part of the Sahara Desert. The Tagant Region, a national administrative division, is named after the plateau. Geography Some towns are located at the foot of the Tagant Plateau ...

. Founded in 1680, it has a population of around 11,000 people. The town is known for its

palm trees The Arecaceae () is a family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are colloquially ...

and its

vernacular architecture Vernacular architecture (also folk architecture) is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. It is not a particular architectural movement or style but rather a broad category, encompassing a wide range a ...

. The town is also home to an

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

. It is the birthplace of former

President of Mauritania This is a list of heads of state of Mauritania since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day. A total of nine people have served as head of state of Mauritania (not counting one acting president). Additionally, o ...

Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly Lt. Col. Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly (‎; 1 January 1943 – 16 March 2019) was a Mauritanian military officer and politician who served as the President of Mauritania and Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation (CMSN) from 3 ...

. The city annually welcomes hundreds of tourists from all over Mauritania for the Date Festival. It is marked by its stands, concerts and recreational evenings. Several tents are set up in the large Bathaa of Tidjidkja, each of which is reserved for a theme linked to oasis life (agricultural popularization, traditional medicine of Ehel Maghary, exhibition of dates ...). The city is famous for its delicious dates. An NGO called 'Association for the Safeguarding of the Ghadima' (ASG) was approved by the Ministry of the Interior by decree n ° 230 MID of August 30, 2017, since it has been working on the restoration of the heritage and the conservation of the old Ksar. Nearby towns and villages include Moudjeria (65.8 nm),

Ksar el Barka Ksar el Barka (, ) is a ruined town in Mauritania. In 2013 it had a population of 7,037. Geography Ksar el Barka is located approximately 50km north of Moudjeria in the Tammourt en Naaj, a basin that collects runoff from the Tagant Plateau into ...

(46.4 nm), Rachid (21.3 nm), Ksar el Khali (143.4 nm),

Ouadane Ouadane or Wādān () is a small town in the desert region of central Mauritania, situated on the southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, northeast of Chinguetti. The town was a staging post in the trans-Saharan trade and for caravans transporti ...

(143.4 nm),

Boumdeid Boumdeid () is a town and commune in Mauritania. It is located in the Aoukar basin, which formerly gave name to the greater region. It has a population of 3,189 at the 2013 census. It is the birthplace of Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Gh ...

(67.1 nm) and Serotandi (46.0 nm). Tidjikja-Dates market

Climate

References

Tagant region Regional capitals in Mauritania Communes of Mauritania Populated places established in 1680 1680 establishments in Africa {{Mauritania-geo-stub