Celebration at Tchit
Tchit, Mauritania, 2005
The remote village of Tchit, an ancient stone citadel built in the 12th century, is occupied by perhaps a few hundred souls who live out their lives in isolation from the rest of the world. Yet, despite the small population, the people divide themselves into districts according to their status in Mauritanian society.
Our guide led us through narrow alleyways, where drifts of fine sand covered the path. On either side, we saw only the greenish stone walls punctuated by heavy wooden doors embellished with nail heads and metal amulets. The masonry was set with triangular architectural designs. Behind the walls were the mosques with their bibliotheques, where we were shown ancient wooden tablets, inscribed with calligraphy…verses from the Koran.
The photo above shows village men dancing in celebration. They flapped the sleeves of the long, draped garment called a gandoura in time to the drum beat. The flowing fabric gave the illusion of a sting ray swimming through shallow water. Bystanders yipped and clapped and shouted. Children pushed through adult legs to see the goings-on. Drummers drummed themselves to exhaustion. It was the end of Ramadan.