the street of Mauritania, a photo from Nouakchott, South

Photographer's Note

Nouakchott,
leaving the capital to go to Kiffa (south-east).
We were filled up with petrol just in front of this bakery and pastry shop.
On the front steps a black hawker ; at the counter, a "White" Moorish customer.

This can be an illustration of the ethnic and social composition of the country. There are 3 ethnic groups : the "White" Moorish (Arab-berber), the "Black" Moorish (called Haratines), descended from ancient emancipated slaves and the "Negro-mauritanians" or "Negro-africans" like they're called here : people from West-Africa countries.
Each group represents about a third of the population. Black africans are a lot to live in Nouakchott.
The sociaty of Mauritania is very organized into a hierarchy : the White moorish have the power and the most important jobs in the administration and the economy ; the "Black" Moorish are subalterns and the Black africans are at the bottom and are a lot to have to beg for.
A kind of racism is behind this social organization.

In addition, despite its abolition in 1980-1981, slavery is still present, of course unsaid.
We still can see some Haratines people to be at the service of ancient "white" masters.
A complex matter, with complex structure...

BennyV, Cretense, jurarafal, Flavia, Clementi, COSTANTINO, brevbrev14, clio has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

BennyV (34734) 2009-03-10 11:23

Bonjour Yannis,

Excellent post, with a great informative note to accompany the picture. Great scene!

Benny

pabau (488) 2009-03-10 13:25

Bonsoir Yannis
Merci pour ta note et les liens passionnants sur un sujet douloureux. "L'encastement g幯廨alis� des soci彋廥" prend ici une forme plus crue (bien que subtile dans ses conditionnements) qui le rend � l'憝idence insupportable.
Pascal
(sur la photo, je ne vois pas la banque et le perron dont il est question dans ta note)

Cretense (68709) 2009-03-11 2:06

Salut Yannis!

Excellent photo, very beautiful and interesting daily life scene, with excellent framing and composition! Great light managment, I like the side lighting and the colours! Interesting note, too! Congratulations!

Hercules

Photo65Net (43144) 2009-03-11 4:40

Salut Yannis,
Une jolie sc鋝e de rue, avec des couleurs et une ambiance que j'aime bien.
Bien vu,
Bonne journ嶪,
JB.

Flavia (10352) 2009-03-11 7:59

Salut Yannis,

Sperbe phoo qui montre bien les couleurs de ce magnifique pays. La lumiere chaude, les vetements colores. J'ai adore mon voyage la bas, tout est si different! Pas de mals, pas de rands marques, pas de fast food de chaine international, il reste tres peut d'endroit imacule comme ca. Ta note est tres precise, c'est bien ca qui j'ai entendu la bas.

Je suis a present en train de seletioner mes photos des vacances en Mauritanie, mais ca ne serais que dans quelques mois que je les pourai les poster...

A+

Flavia

Clementi (52514) 2009-03-11 11:06

Ciao Yannis,
you have a beautiful gallery with a lot photos of daily life scenes, also this is very beautiful, this last is the confirmation of that that I say, a simple scene with some beautiful delicate colors and that it describes a part of the world to me stranger.
good job
Giorgio

Waylim (25436) 2009-03-11 12:56

Yannis,
Very nice shot, one of this places that sometime we pass but if we don't have a photo of it. It may just be forgotten. I grade you took a picture of it. the daily life along the street, showing the shop selling there everyday items and people going on with their life as if you have never been there. I like and enjoyed this kind of image as well as just plain landscape. Thanks
Way

gildasjan (43826) 2009-03-12 11:08

Bonjour Yannis
Tr鋊 bonne prise de vue de cette sc鋝e de vie quotidienne.J'appr嶰ie ici particuli鋨ement les couleurs et le cadrage.
Bonne soir嶪
Cordialement
gildas

ilvao (2308) 2009-03-14 15:08

Yannis,
Belle illustration de tes propos de ta note instructive
Bravo et merci
Olivier

marietom (34611) 2009-03-15 5:02

salut Yannis,

Une rue qui me rappelle des rues vues � Segou. j'aurais bien aim� voir l'affiche "patisserie" en entier.
Bon dimanche
Marie

COSTANTINO (115499) 2009-03-15 21:29

Hello Yannis
A nice photo showing a different type of daily life..A photo like this one is absolutely interesting for us memebres of T.e.
who travel together with the photo..
The colours are also simple and the subject
ethnic of this country..
Regards
have a nice week end
Costantino

bernardec (2241) 2009-03-21 9:14

Yannis bonsoir,

Tr廥 interressante analyse de la vie Mauritanienne.
Je n'y suis pass� que tr廥 vite, et cette photo illustre on ne peut mieux le rhytme et les couleurs de cette vie.
Bernard

brevbrev14 (140) 2009-03-25 10:32

Hi Yannis
nice street scene
your note is interesting
ciao
Valeria

scalerman (26900) 2009-04-13 12:18

Yannis: a fine image - great light and the signage is perfect. Not sure what you could have done with the blown-out brights - but the picture still works for me . regards, c

gmg (4202) 2009-04-20 10:19

Beautiful African street!
The pale colours of the building and the contrasting strong red of the woman's dress and bottle's boxes are a perfect frame for the white dressed man.
Pure essence of Western Africa "metropolitan" life!
TFS
gmg

clio (27961) 2009-04-26 12:40

Salut Yannis,
Je reviens en arri鋨e car je n'ai pas comment� cette photo que j'aime beaucoup avec cette belle lumi鋨e et ces teintes fantastiques. Les rouges explosent sur ce vert pistache presque transparent dans la lumi鋨e.
Merci aussi pour ta note fort int廨essante. Bien qu'abonn嶪 au "diplo", je n'ai pas le temps de lire tous les articles.
Tr鋊 bonne semaine, amicalement
Diane