Chegga
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Chegga
Cheggat | |
|---|---|
  Chegga Location in Mauritania | |
| Coordinates: 25°22′23.89″N 5°47′14.12″W / 25.3733028°N 5.7872556°W | |
| Country | Mauritania |
| Region | Tiris Zemmour |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,200 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC0 |
Chegga is an abandoned fort in the far northeastern part of Mauritania, close to the borders with Algeria and Mali. It has been a caravan stop for centuries. There are neolithic rock carvings in the oued 500 meters away from the fort, near a water source.[1][2]
Chegga consists of a mosque and a military fort. It was built by the French Foreign Legion and taken over by the Army of Mauritania after independence.[1]
In 2019, president Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, opened the surrounding military exclusion zone to prospecting on a limited basis, although technically foreigners can still be shot on sight. Chegga has since become a center of artisanal gold mining by Mauritanians and Malians using hand tools.[3]
