Ouadane or Wadan is a historical small town located in the desert region of Adrar in central Mauritania. The city was founded in the 11th century AD, and then it experienced a great prosperity in the later ages because it was located on the road of trade caravans across the desert. Ouadane was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, as part of Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata.