After battling armed attacks, Mauritania attempts to revive tourism

Guelb er-Richat, Adrar Region, Mauritania – From inside her thatch-roof tent, Fatima Cheikh Mohammad Bouya scans the vast, rocky landscape outside, hoping to catch sight of approaching guests, ideally travellers looking to stay the night.

The 49-year-old is custodian of one of Africa’s most striking natural landmarks, the Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of Africa.”

A colossal circular formation measuring about 40km (25 miles) in diameter, the Richat lies in the rugged terrain of Mauritania’s Adrar Plateau, on the western edge of the Sahara. It can only be fully seen from the sky, where its domed rings resemble a vast eye, giving rise to its nickname. Some legends claim it marks the site of the lost city of Atlantis, adding to its appeal among adventurers.

It is these travellers, often arriving in groups and carrying foreign currency, that Bouya hopes to attract today. She might sell them a small stone shaped like the Richat itself, or host them overnight under the desert sky, renting out tents and serving dinner.

“This whole area is my family’s land,” Bouya said proudly in her sing-song Hassaniya Arabic, sitting on a faded red rug inside her desert camp and gesturing to a map spread before her.

She is one of hundreds of locals now benefitting from Mauritania’s slow revival as a little-known travel destination.

Stretching across a vast territory that is about 90 percent desert, Mauritania sits at the crossroads of North and West Africa. Its landscape blends the Sahara with the Atlantic coast, while its cultures reflect influences from both regions.

About 30,000 tourists used to flock here annually, but a grim episode in the country’s history stopped that flow.