ATLAS · WORLD HERITAGE · MAURITANIA
World Heritage Sites in Mauritania
Mauritania has 2 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List — 1 cultural, 1 natural. Below: how they split by type, and the headline sites. From UNESCO’s official list, snapshot 2026-06-22.
By heritage type
Notable sites in Mauritania
A spread of the country’s heritage — the rarer mixed and natural sites first, then its earliest inscriptions.
Fringing the Atlantic coast, the park comprises sand-dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and shallow coastal waters. The contrast between the harsh desert environment and the biodiversity of the marine zone has resulted in a land- and seascape of outstanding natural significance. A wide variety…
Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that evolved between the 12th and 16th centuries. Typically, houses with patios crowd along n…