Page 12 - Traveling 71 eng

MAURITANIA
The oases:
green pearls
among the dunes
Terjit, Mhairett, Tanouchert, El Meddah,
Azoueiga. Names that evoke water, sha-
de, and rest. In a country dominated by
sun and stone, the oases of Mauritania
are a radical exception: corners where
the desert gives way for a moment, and
life breathes at a different pace.
Reaching them is not immediate. You
have to cross dry canyons, sandy tracks,
and forgotten valleys. But the reward is
real. Terjit, wedged between cliffs, offers
a fresh water spring for bathing at sun-
set, surrounded by palm trees and rock
walls that glow orange in the sunlight.
In Mhairett, the palms grow so close to-
gether that barely any light filters throu-
gh, creating a natural twilight that feels
otherworldly. In Meddah, you can still
see ancient hand-dug irrigation channels
that have been in use for generations.
© Caroline Zaninotto
Tekan Oasis
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