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When you hear the word “desert,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It’s probably the Sahara Desert, right? After all, it’s one of the largest—and certainly the most iconic—deserts in the world, spanning almost the entire northern third of Africa. Most people imagine it as a vast sea of endless sand dunes, with caravans of camels trekking through its unforgiving landscape, and miles upon miles of nothing but sand, wind, and extreme conditions.
Well, while that image is true in some parts, the Sahara Desert is far more complex than that stereotypical vision. This ancient desert holds a treasure trove of surprising and lesser-known facts! In this list, we’ll uncover ten of these mind-blowing details about the Sahara Desert that you probably didn’t know.
10. It’s Truly Enormous
We weren’t exaggerating when we said the Sahara Desert covers nearly the entire top third of Africa. That claim is spot on—the Sahara actually makes up a whopping 31% of the African continent! In total, it spans an area of around million square miles (9.2 million square kilometers, if you’re outside the United States).
At its widest stretch from north to south, the Sahara spans over 1,100 miles (1,800 kilometers), and from east to west, it reaches roughly 3,000 miles (more than 4,800 kilometers). To put that into perspective, if you placed it over the contiguous United States, the Sahara would almost match the US in its north-south expanse and actually surpass the US in east-west length. That’s one massive desert!
It’s not just the vast area that’s impressive. The largest sand dunes in the Western Sahara Desert rise high into the sky as well. Some of the tallest reach well over 500 feet (152 meters), with the highest topping 600 feet (183 meters). That’s a daunting climb for anyone—or any creature—caught in the middle of this sea of sand.
When you take everything into account, the Sahara stands as the world’s third-largest desert. That might sound surprising after comparing its size to others, but it’s true! The only two deserts larger than the Sahara are Antarctica and the Arctic. So, in terms of “hot” deserts (as in, not frozen!), the Sahara reigns supreme.
9. It’s Not Just Sand
It’s easy to picture the Sahara Desert as one giant, continuous stretch of sand dunes. However, that’s far from the truth! In reality, the iconic sand seas you imagine make up only a small fraction of the entire desert. These sand seas, known as “ergs” to scientists, are primarily found in the far western regions of the Sahara, including areas in Western Sahara, Morocco, Mauritania, and the western parts of Algeria.
As you journey east across the Sahara Desert, you'll encounter far more than just vast sand dunes. Stretching out ahead are rocky plateaus, known as 'hamadas,' as well as extensive gravel plains, or 'regs.' You’ll also find dry lakebeds, deep valleys, and even expansive salt flats scattered throughout the region.
And yes, mountains too! The Sahara is bordered by a range of mountain chains on nearly all sides. To the north, in Niger, the Air Mountains rise dramatically from the desert. The Hoggar Range appears in southern Algeria, while the Tibesti Range stretches through Chad and Libya at the heart of the desert. The Red Sea Hills define part of the border between Egypt and Sudan. There's even a dormant volcano in the Sahara, Chad's Emi Koussi, which stands as the tallest peak in the desert. While these mountains may not have snow-capped peaks like the Rockies or the Alps, their landscapes offer a stark contrast to the endless dunes you might expect.
8. The Eye of the Sahara
One of the Sahara Desert's most striking features is the Richat Structure, a geological formation whose true nature remains somewhat of a mystery. Located in a remote region of Mauritania, the Richat Structure is a large dome, made up of concentric layers of sedimentary rock. From above, this formation has the appearance of a giant eye. First discovered in the 1930s, scientists initially believed it was created by a meteor impact. However, more recent evidence has cast doubt on that theory.
In the early 2000s, studies confirmed that the 'Eye of the Sahara' was not caused by a meteor. While scientists still debate its precise origin, the leading theory suggests that it is an uplifted geological dome, a type of structure called a 'domed anticline.' Despite the uncertainty, the Eye of the Sahara remains an awe-inspiring sight when viewed from above!
7. The Sahara Is Half the Story
At the bottom of the Sahara Desert, lining it along the southern edge in nations like Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Chad, Nigeria, and Mali is something called the “Sahel.” Yes, the word is very similar to Sahara (and we’ll get to that in a second), but the Sahel is its own fascinating natural ecosystem that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the Sahara does, even though it should.
The Sahel is a tropical savanna grassland that can get very wet, green, and lively during the rainy season and very dry and desolate during times of drought. Just like the Sahara, the Sahel stretches nearly coast-to-coast across Africa and serves as the border region between the harshest climates of the Sahara and the far more tropical reaches of the continent as it moves south toward the Equator.
In fact, the name “Sahel” is the Arabic word for “coast” or “shore.” That’s a purposeful choice. Not because the Sahel touches the coast—only very small portions of it actually reach the Atlantic Ocean and/or Red Sea—but because the Sahel functions essentially as the “shore” of the Sahara Desert as it meets the rest of civilization to its south. Still, other linguists note that the Arabic word “sahl,” which means “plain,” is the root for the term Sahel.
In either case, the result is the same: The Sahel is a critical buffer zone that holds the harsh Sahara back from far more temperate and even lush regions of natural growth and diverse habitats. In that way, the massive and elongated Sahel is a critical region for farmers, ranchers, and other people and animals relying on the land to survive who are unable to do so in the depths of the desert to its north.
6. An Ancient Mummy Discovery
The oldest mummy ever discovered was found in the Sahara Desert, yet it was not connected to ancient Egypt. Referred to as the Tashwinat Mummy, the preserved body of a young child was uncovered by Italian archaeologist Fabrizio Mori in 1958 at Uan Muhuggiag, Libya. The remains were of a two- or three-year-old boy, carefully wrapped in leaves and tightly bound in antelope skin.
Before being laid to rest in the desert, the boy’s organs had been removed and primitive preservatives were injected into his body to aid in its preservation. Considering the mummy was discovered thousands of years later, the preservation techniques seem to have been remarkably effective.
Carbon dating estimates the boy passed away around 3000 BC, making the Tashwinat Mummy over a thousand years older than the oldest-known Egyptian mummies. This discovery is astonishing, as it predates Egyptian mummification practices by more than a millennium.
The boy and his people, who lived more than 5,000 years ago, were believed to be cattle herders who roamed the Sahara with their herds. Back then, the Sahara was more of a grassland than the desert it is today, suggesting that early civilizations might have thrived in this environment.
5. Flourishing Civilizations in the Desert
While the Ancient Greeks and Romans were dominating Europe, influencing both land control and culture, they weren't the only advanced societies thriving in the region. Far to the south of the Mediterranean, within the Sahara Desert, several remarkable ancient civilizations prospered before eventually fading away and blending with neighboring cultures.
Among the most significant of these was the Garamantes, a people who emerged in what is now Libya around 500 BC. They controlled the region for a thousand years. Their survival in the harsh desert was made possible by digging deep wells to access water from underground sources, which allowed them to cultivate crops and sustain life in an otherwise uninhabitable environment.
Despite their success, the Greeks and Romans held the Garamantes in low regard during their reigns, with the Romans even managing to conquer them at one point. The northern neighbors of the Garamantes viewed them as uncivilized nomads, unworthy of recognition as either potential allies or threats.
However, the Garamantes were far from merely nomadic. They built structures, created artwork, established communities, and thrived in one of the world's harshest climates. Unfortunately, their civilization met its end in the 7th century AD when their wells began to run dry, their water supply dwindled, and they were forced to abandon the desert, eventually merging with or being absorbed by neighboring cultures in more fertile areas.
Nomadic tribes continue to traverse the Sahara Desert, even today, despite the modern advancements of smartphones and constant internet access. Two major tribes, the Berbers and the Tuareg, are particularly prominent. The Berbers have a long history, with their roots possibly going as far back as 10,000 BC. Many archaeologists believe they were among the first nomadic peoples to settle in the Sahara.
These tribes, the Berbers in particular, are found in scattered communities across North Africa, including Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Mali, and Egypt. Their nomadic lifestyle, based on herding animals and the search for water, often leads them to cross international borders to find the resources they need for survival.
It’s fascinating to think that, even in today's high-tech world, the ancient practices of nomadic tribes still endure. The Berbers and the Tuareg represent living links to a bygone era, where survival in the harsh desert required incredible resilience and adaptability.
The Tuareg, who inhabit the western Sahara, are considered a subgroup of the Berbers. They have diligently preserved their traditional way of life, with families moving between temporary camps depending on the season to access food and water. While some have adopted semi-nomadic lifestyles, others have established urban centers that serve as home bases for their periodic travels as pastoralists.
The Sahara Desert is rapidly expanding, and the process is happening quickly. As a result, the landscape is becoming even more inhospitable, forcing the local populations and wildlife to adapt in various ways to survive.
The idea of a desert being a living entity might seem strange. While it’s not alive in the way we typically think of living organisms, the desert is constantly shifting and evolving. It may even surprise you to hear that the Sahara Desert has expanded by 10% over the past century!
Several factors contribute to this growth, both natural cycles of the climate and human-induced climate change. So, it’s not entirely surprising that the desert is spreading (particularly to the south) and pushing into the Sahel and neighboring grasslands. What’s concerning, however, is the potential impact of this expansion on Africa’s future.
The Sahara Desert—and more notably, the Sahel directly beneath it—are already known for their instability, violence, and lawlessness. As the desert expands southward at a rapid pace, swallowing fertile land, these challenges are expected to escalate.
Countries like Mali, Mauritania, and Burkina Faso are facing rising insurgencies and terrorist activities for various reasons. The desert’s expansion is increasing pressure on local communities struggling to survive in harsher conditions, which will undoubtedly lead to further instability. The future for those living near the Sahara looks grim, to put it mildly.
2. Highways to Hell
In fairness to Donald Mackenzie, he might have had a point when he envisioned creating the Sahara Sea to facilitate trade across North Africa. While today there are paved desert routes that allow travel by car, bus, or truck across much of the Sahara, these routes are far from standardized or seamless from coast to coast.
Several countries within the Sahara region have embarked on ambitious construction projects aimed at connecting remote locations deep in the desert. Some of these projects have been completed, such as key highways stretching across places like Egypt and Sudan.
However, road travel in other parts of the Sahara remains patchy, as expected. There are, however, impressive highway projects stretching across the continent. One such route connects Dakar, Senegal, in the west to Cairo, Egypt, in the northeast. Another significant route is the Trans-Sahara Highway, traversing Algeria, Niger, and Nigeria. Though this highway runs along the desert's northern edge, it's still an impressive achievement.
A further continental highway goal has been to link Tripoli, Libya, in the north, with Cape Town, South Africa, in the south. This project has faced numerous challenges, not only within the Sahara, but also in regions like the Congo, where dense jungles make road construction extremely difficult.
1. The Sea That Could Have Been
The Sahara Desert, long known for its dry and sandy expanse, was once a place of fascination for some who sought to transform it. In the late 1800s, both entrepreneurs and scientists started to explore the idea of flooding this vast desert to create what they envisioned as the 'Sahara Sea.'
This bold idea took root in 1877 when Donald Mackenzie, a Scottish businessman, proposed the idea of constructing a channel from the desert to a nearby ocean. His plan was to flood a sizable portion of the Sahara with seawater, which could open up agricultural opportunities in North Africa. Mackenzie also theorized that such an endeavor could even influence weather patterns across Europe and beyond.
Beyond the agricultural possibilities, Mackenzie believed there was a strong economic incentive behind the creation of a manmade sea. He was convinced that there had once been a natural sea in the Sahara and saw the potential for a new one to boost trade. The inland sea could open a trade route leading down to West Africa, abundant with gold, minerals, and timber. Additionally, he believed the canal could connect to the Niger River, further enhancing access to sub-Saharan Africa for trade.
However, despite Mackenzie's vision, the Sahara Sea never came to fruition. The idea continued to be discussed well into the 20th century, with businessmen and scientists considering possible entry points and evaluating how ocean water might fill the desert landscape, though the plan ultimately remained unrealized.
