Endangered Civilizations S01 E01 The Books Under the Sand

"The Books Under the Sand" tells the story of Dah, a young Mauritanian who is determined to build a future for his village while preserving its ties to a glorious past. Founded in 777 AD, Chinguetti enjoyed two distinct periods of greatness. It began as a vital caravan hub of the Sanhadja Confederacy, a loosely knit Berber trading league that covered much of the Western Sahara. The city acquired even more importance in the 13th century, under the Almoravid Empire. In addition to maintaining its position as a commercial way station between the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa, Chinguetti became a center of Muslim scholarship.