The “Great Wadane Wall” was built circularly to include springs of water located half a kilometer north of the city. Its wall is one and a half meters thick, and 4 meters high.
He contributed significantly to securing the historical city of Ouadane in northern Mauritania for 9 centuries, and represented a rare opportunity for the residents of this city to preserve their lives and property. It is the “Great Wadden Wall”, which was built by the residents of Waddan in the year 547 AH, to protect them from the invasion of tribes in that period.
The city’s strategic location on the caravan route also constituted a special situation in terms of economic prosperity, which made it the focus of the greed of the Bedouin tribes, which forced the city’s residents to construct this wall to protect themselves.
Historical accounts tell that the historic city of Wadane has not been looted once since the construction of this wall.
According to the circulating accounts, history has recorded only one siege on this city at the beginning of the 19th century, which was struck by a desert tribe around the city, and it lasted for an entire month, but that tribe returned in front of this wall.
Large parts of the “Great Wadane Wall” are still steadfast and refuse to disappear, while the city’s residents demand from time to time the restoration of this wall, which constitutes a historical landmark and contributes to attracting tourists.
Cercle
The city’s location at the foot of a large mountain was made easy to wrap around it by erecting this wall that embraces it. According to the data of the Mauritanian Ministry of Culture, “this wall was built in the form of a circle extending from the top of the mountain in the west, and ending at its foot in the east, and it was built circularly to include the water springs located half a kilometer north of the city.”
According to the same source, “the wall of the wall is one and a half meters thick, while its height is 4 meters.” Stone, mud and other materials were used in its construction from the cities of Fez and Kairouan.
4 gates and a special guard
This wall has 4 gates, each of which is on one of its four sides, the largest of which is the eastern gate called “Fam al-Mabrouk.” Those four gates were guarded by a special guard who worked all day and had a uniform that distinguished them.
According to the data of the Mauritanian Ministry of Culture, the residents of the city were keen at the time to train the gatekeepers and select them from among the powerful, and each door had a special drum that struck a certain number of times, marking its opening or closing.
According to historical accounts, these gates were distributed in terms of their importance, as each of them has a special value and purpose, as the “Fam al-Mabrouk” gate represents a main entrance for caravans coming from the Levant from Egypt, Hijaz, Tunisia, Sudan and the Levant, as well as from the southeast of Mali.
This gate is opposite to another gate on the west side, which is smaller in size, and is called “the mouth of the Kasbah.” This gate was designated for the caravans coming from the Senegal River.
Content with Baltermim
Last May, the mayor of the city of Ouadane, Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mieh, called on the authorities to work quickly to restore this wall and highlight the unique architectural character of the historic city of Ouadane, in order to contribute to the development of the city and revive tourism in it.
The city of Ouadane is considered one of the oldest historical cities in Mauritania. In the past, it formed an unparalleled civilizational and cultural radiation. The ruins of the ancient city and its stock of manuscripts and cultural references are still witness to a luminous era in the history of this Arab country located in West Africa.
In recent years, the city of Ouadane, like many historical cities in the country, has witnessed a wave of displacement towards the capital, Nouakchott, and the economic capital, Nouadhibou, due to the drought waves that the country has known.
However, for 10 years, the authorities have organized an annual festival alternating between the four historical cities in the country, which are Chinguetti, Ouadane, Tishet and Ouatta; with a view to rehabilitating it.