Michel Vieuchange

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Michel Vieuchange (1904-1930) was a French adventurer who was the first European to visit the abandoned ruins of the walled city of Smara, in the interior of the Sahara Desert.

On September 10, 1930 Vieuchange set off on his journey of discovery into a largely unexplored region of North Africa. He was unsure of the exact location of Smara, nor did he speak Arabic or Berber; languages of the few nomads in the region. Through severe hardship he reached his goal and returned to civilization on November 16 at the Moroccan town of Tiznit, almost 400 km from Smara. Vieuchange died a few days later, weakened from dysentery.

Fortunately he maintained a journal of his adventure, which was published by his brother Jean Vieuchange in 1932, called "Smara: The Forbidden City".