Serving as the guardian of Ouadane, Mohamed El Hassan Ould Barakallah watches over the ruins of one of Mauritania’s most remarkable Saharan towns. Founded as a staging post along the trans-Saharan trade routes, Ouadane prospered through the transport of gold, salt from the Idjil mines, and other goods across the desert. Today, the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies mostly in ruins, with crumbling mud-brick walls and narrow alleyways that hint at its past importance. Mohamed’s presence preserves both the physical remnants and the memory of centuries of caravan trade, keeping alive the stories, spirit, and resilience of this desert settlement.