Chinguetti is a ksar or medieval trading centre in northern Mauritania, located on the Adrar Plateau east of Atar. Founded in the 13th century as the center of several trans-Saharan trade routes, this small city continues to attract a handful of visitors who admire its spare architecture, scenery and ancient libraries. Chinguetti was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, as part of Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata.