Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, Princess of Éboli, was imprisoned for six months in the tower.
Torreón de Pinto (Tower of Pinto)
Rococo staircase to the musicians’s gallery.
Biscari Palace
Statues of Qin Hui and Lady Wang.
Qin Hui Statue at Yue Fei Temple
The Salt Canyon.
Salt Canyon
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
 Fenway Park at night
How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?
about 16 hours ago
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
1 day ago
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
3 days ago
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mauritania Camel Market

Camel Market

The largest camel market in West Africa

Beila, Mauritania

Added By
Max Cortesi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Mauritania is home to the second-largest camel market in Africa (the largest is located in Sudan). Fourteen kilometers out of Nouakchott, along Road N3 heading east, the hustle and bustle of the city starts dying out. The buildings quickly thin out, and the atmosphere becomes unmistakably more rural. It is in this urban/rural liminal space that the Camel Market is located.

The site is easily recognizable. Gnarly branches form uneven but effective pens that stretch beyond what the eye can see. A layer of dust lingers permanently, and it simultaneously revels and conceals at irregular intervals.  And thousands of camels are lying on the ground, fighting to exert dominance, pushing and shoving at feeding time, slowly moving along, or fast moving along, or not moving along at all, just staring at you.

Unfortunately, there is no vantage point that can offer a comprehensive view of the market. The only way to see it is to meander through the livestock—mainly camels, but no shortage of cows, goats, or donkeys.  The sea of camels is neatly (but not obviously, to unfamiliar eyes) divided into herds, each belonging to one of the many herders that can be seen roaming around the expanse in their blue boubou (traditional tunic).

Finding out how much a camel is can be a challenge. First of all, herders may think that you are interested in buying one, which would prompt overinflated offers. And second, it may invite herders to boast and share with you the highest price they ever managed to collect for a camel. To compound the mystery, a camel’s price varies according to factors such as age, gender, size, weight, and aesthetic beauty. And this, of course, depends on what the camel is bought for—breeding, racing, or slaughtering. Upon lengthy investigation, it turned out that a healthy camel that is usually bought as a present (a common tradition in Mauritania) and does not excel in any of the aforementioned variables would go for about 850USD (as of 2023).

Related Tags

Camels Deserts Markets Animals

Know Before You Go

This is not a tourist attraction. Visitors are tolerated but, you should mind your step, making sure that you are not in anyone’s way—especially the camels. Be inobtrusive and culturally sensitive, and you may be rewarded with an informative chat with the local traders. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Max Cortesi

Published

May 26, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Camel Market
Beila
Mauritania
18.05681, -15.850905

Nearby Places

Galerie Zeinart

Nouakchott, Mauritania

miles away

Port de Pêche

Nouakchott, Mauritania

miles away

Monument to the Battle of Oum Tounsi

Mauritania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mauritania

Mauritania

Africa

Places 10
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Galerie Zeinart

Nouakchott, Mauritania

miles away

Port de Pêche

Nouakchott, Mauritania

miles away

Monument to the Battle of Oum Tounsi

Mauritania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mauritania

Mauritania

Africa

Places 10
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Namib Desert Horses

    Garub, Namibia

    Namib Desert Horses

    Thought to be the only herd of feral horses in Africa and one of the most isolated populations in the world.

  • Tin Camel Roundabout

    Norseman, Australia

    Tin Camel Roundabout

    A tribute to the role camels played in the region's industrial development.

  • Northern Cattle Market Wall

    Parkville, Australia

    Northern Cattle Market Wall

    A unique reminder of the once-bustling cattle market during the 19th-century.

  • One of Doris Duke’s camels, Baby.

    Hillsborough Township, New Jersey

    Doris Duke's Pet Cemetery

    A billionaire heiress' menagerie of animals were lovingly laid to rest on the grounds of her former estate.

  • Alec and his friend.

    Belfast, Northern Ireland

    'Alec the Goose'

    The statue honors a beloved bird that once roamed St. George's Market.

  • Guelta d’Archei.

    Chad

    Guelta d'Archei

    Camels and crocodiles share the black waters of this stunning Saharan oasis.

  • Laws Spring engraving.

    Williams, Arizona

    Laws Spring

    This remote desert watering hole has a connection to a curious chapter of American history.

  • Keswick, Australia

    Queen Adelaide Restaurant

    Dine aboard the historic Ghan train while retracing early explorers' journey through the Outback.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.