The capital of Mauritania is a new city created in 1960. It lies near the sea in a desert landscape of low dunes scattered with thorn bushes, on a site adjoining an old Moorish settlement, the Ksar. The modern buildings maintain the traditional Berber style of architecture. The following places are worth visiting: the Plage du Wharf, the mosque, the Ksar and its market, the African market and the camel market, the crafts center, the Maison de la Culture and the carpet factory.