#ouadane

[atlasandacamera]

Ouadane, Mauritania

[atlasandacamera]

Ouadane, Mauritania

[atlasandacamera]

Ouadane, Mauritania

[ftapon]

Vlogging in #Ouadane #Mauritania (at Ouadane) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZeGUdvNUHW/?utm_medium=tumblr

[findingjules]

Ancient city ruins of Ouadane, Mauritania - once a trade city on the trans-Saharan route in the 12th century and possibly as early as 11th century @eggandbananainafrica #ouadane #mauritania #travel gram #roamtheplanet #wanderout (at Ouadane) https://www.instagram.com/p/CLo7hQ_DsMQ/?igshid=t6e1ak15rxb5

[marhaba-maroc-algerie-tunisie]

Ouadane or Wadan (وادان‎) is a small town in the desert of central Mauritania on the southern edge of the Adrar Plateau, about 100 km northeast of Chinguetti. The town was a staging post in the Trans-Saharan trade and for caravans transporting salt from the mines at Idjil. A Portuguese trading post was established in 1487, but was soon abandoned. The town declined from the 16th century and most of it now lies in ruins. The old town, a World Heritage Site, is still substantially intact, while a small modern settlement lies outside its gate. Ouadane is the closest town to the Richat Structure, a massive circular landmark visible from space. 

[atlasobscura]

In the midst of the vast, vacant Sahara desert, just outside of Ouadane, Mauritania, lies a 30-mile wide geological oddity known the Richat Structure, or the "Eye of Africa." From space, this natural curiosity forms a distinct and unmistakable bull's-eye that once served as a geographical landmark for early astronauts as they passed over the Sahara.

Once thought to be a crater due to its circularity, the unusual formation is now widely believed to have been caused by the erosion of what was once a volcanic dome. Over time, desert weather has caused the volcano to gradually shed layers, resulting in the structure's remarkable flatness.

More of the Richat Structure on Atlas Obscura...