Kiffa

Kiffa is the capital of Mauritania's Assaba region, a Sahelian market and transport town in the south-centre of the country. It sits on the main Nouakchott–Néma road, known as the Route de l'Espoir, and has long been shaped by pastoralism, livestock trading and regional commerce.

Kiffa grew from a small settlement into an administrative centre after the French colonial period, when it became the Assaba prefecture in 1923. Today it is especially known for Kiffa beads, handmade powdered-glass beads traditionally produced by local women and regarded among West Africa's most distinctive crafts. The Great Mosque and older quarters reflect the town's Sahelian and Islamic character.

The central market is the heart of daily life, with produce, livestock, textiles and artisan goods, while small workshops demonstrate bead-making techniques. Other points of interest include the local museum and, in the surrounding Assaba region, the Affollé Mountains and natural sites such as Tamourt Bougari and Guelta Metraucha.

As the administrative and commercial hub of Assaba, Kiffa hosts regional government offices, health and education facilities and a steady flow of traders from nearby rural areas. Its food culture is simple and local, built around millet-based dishes, rice, grilled meat, dates, milk and sweet mint tea; evening social life is limited and mostly family-oriented.

For leisure travellers, Kiffa offers a less visited side of Mauritania with crafts, markets and Sahelian landscapes, while business and development workers value its role as a regional base for trade, administration and road connections across the interior.