For centuries, one family has been safeguarding an ancient library in Mauritania

Chinguetti, Mauritania | Oct. 24, 2026, 5:00 a.m. ET | 2 min read Standing in the cool, dry air of the stone library that he has safeguarded for almost half his life, Mohammed Abdullah Ould Gholam Habott recounts how male ancestors in his family cobbled together their collection over three centuries. To purchase Moorish texts, for example, his great-grandfather traveled all the way from the isolated Mauritanian desert city of Chinguetti to Andalusia, an autonomous community in southern Spain. Mr. Habott is responsible for taking care of more than 1,400 manuscripts at the Habott Library, one of only a few family-run libraries still active in Chinguetti. The manuscripts are among the oldest in West Africa. Many are religious texts, including interpretations of the Quran, but others deal with astrology, grammar, and language. Mr. Habott has revered the role of library custodian since childhood; he was weaned on stories about his forebears and the library’s visitors. “Over the years, I’ve seen all the different situations the library has faced,” Mr. Habott says. “When there were waves of visitors, and also none.” The European researchers who make the trek, he notes, are always interested in names of books and their age – those kinds of facts. “But Arab researchers are more interested in the meaning of these texts,” he says. Kang-Chun ChengOASIS: Camel herders look after their animals at dusk at a watering point, a few doors down from one of the last family-run libraries in Chinguetti. The city is home to roughly 4,000 people. As per custom in Chinguetti, Mr. Habott was selected as safekeeper of the family library in 2002 at the annual meeting where the entire family gathers to discuss both family and library matters. David Kyule, a lecturer in the University of Nairobi’s Department of History and Archeology, describes the libraries of Chinguetti as archives of lived history. “They are not just isolated manuscripts but repositories of community memory and identity,” he says. “Families in Chinguetti have traditionally owned and passed down these collections, a practice archaeologists describe as part of the social fabric of the region’s historical learning culture.” The historian says that these libraries were born out of Chinguetti’s role as a caravan and pilgrimage hub on trans-Saharan routes, en route to Timbuktu in Mali or to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. “Caravans and scholars brought and copied texts; families kept these collections over centuries, preserving this intellectual legacy in harsh desert conditions,” he says. “[They are] tangible proof that knowledge production, literacy, and scholarly exchange flourished in the Sahara long before European colonialism.” Deepen your worldviewwith Monitor Highlights.Politics with respectGet political stories with respectful analysis.There‘s a world of new ideas in everyBooks newsletter.There‘s more to life, enrich yours withCulture & Learning weekly.Follow humanity‘s discoveries withScience & Nature stories in your inbox.Gain a spiritual perspectivefrom the stories in your inbox.Want to understand the deeper impact of critical events? Learn the Monitor‘s insight.Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. Considering Chinguetti’s remoteness, it faces the same problem that many small villages all over the world do: What will happen when younger generations leave? The libraries in Chinguetti are always owned by a male relative, because if women marry, it will break the family chain of custody. Mr. Habott, who is in his early 50s, has two adolescent sons and is not sure what will happen if they seek fortunes beyond Chinguetti. “I’ve always felt proud to be part of something bigger than myself,” he says. “I hope one of my sons will feel the same.” Kang-Chun ChengHOT SPOT: Chinguetti is built upon the Sahara Desert. Kang-Chun ChengONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS: The manuscripts in Mr. Habott’s family-run library are among the oldest in West Africa. Kang-Chun ChengROOTED IN RELIGION: The Habott Library includes many Quranic texts. Other manuscripts deal with astrology and language. Kang-Chun ChengJUST PASSING THROUGH: Camel herders take care of their animals in the evening. The libraries of Chinguetti were born out of the city’s role as a caravan and pilgrimage hub on trans-Saharan routes. Kang-Chun ChengTESTED BY TIME: Mr. Habott stands outside the library. Chinguetti faces the same problem that many small villages do: What will happen if younger generations leave? ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LoginReal news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.The Christian Science Monitor was founded in 1908 to lift the standard of journalism and uplift humanity. We aim to “speak the truth in love.” Our goal is not to tell you what to think, but to give you the essential knowledge and understanding to come to your own intelligent conclusions. Join us in this mission by subscribing.