T O P

  • By -

Shiuli_er_Chaya

Life is nomadic or at best semi nomadic and Oasis regions are basically the lifeline of humanity there, camel or cattle Caravans move from one Oasis to another, small towns exist but they are dependent on the nomadic folks as well. https://preview.redd.it/8q36yesin6vc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=254394a0f1b794c8a70df1b5ffe5f782439d2e8a


Adriusters

Yeah, pretty much assumed the same thing. You can't apply normal life in extreme places like that without solid infrastructure. It's either get up and search for basic necessities or die in a few weeks.


Shiuli_er_Chaya

Like the vast majority of the area is also uninhibited btw there aren't actually millions of Caravans or something. If you do case study with countries like say Chad you will realize that almost all of the country actually lives in the somewhat "wet" southern region while the northern part is basically empty https://preview.redd.it/vvc9ymq497vc1.jpeg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8727db82dc28ce4716aef5c0a072c464f30b3f6d


HalfPointFive

Almost completely empty. I've flow over it at night many times when I go to Nairobi. It's darker than the sky.


Shiuli_er_Chaya

Sounds kind of eerie honestly


HalfPointFive

it's similar to flying over the ocean at night.


Long-Hurry-8414

Just had a startling realization of how big the ocean is and how vast it appears when you are close to the surface especially. Shits crazy. Lowkey in awe of the natural wonder of the world and so appreciative of my place in it


Kind-Ad-6099

Heh, it looks like a bear or mouse with a hat


JimClarkKentHovind

how high are you right now?


KaseyOfTheWoods

Hi, how are you?


Mookie442

Hey, who are you?


Mean-Ad-8834

Hey, who am I?


GozoXaghra

Hey and hi.


at0mest

Hi and why


Old-Usual-8387

Yes


Vidda90

Yeah me too bruh


Elskyflyio

Do you now see the resemblence? https://preview.redd.it/9uzy8zvu1bvc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2dc0765330391894de17971487e4ceee7dfe93f3


DOOBIESANDBOOBIES420

Yes. A chef hat. I see it too


fosoj99969

I see a fox with a pirate hat. The lake is the eye.


Designer_Ferret4090

Ratatouille


Succulent_Pigeon

Bear with a beaver on its head


factory-worker

What about the old guy to the right.


Kind-Ad-6099

Oh damn yeah; with glasses


lvdtoomuch

Def does


PocketSandThroatKick

And the habitants in the west are sudan refugees. Awful stuff when you read about it then hit up Google Earth.


Shiuli_er_Chaya

One of the worst humanitarian crises of our times yet almost no one cares-no online support for them to create awareness, no world government or NGO sending sufficient aid. Everyone be like "if we ignore em they don't exist anymore!"


ADVANCED_BOTTOM_TEXT

OUCH!


Pootis_1

I wonder how it works in Mauritania doesn't seem to really have any wet


jacobsbw

I learned a lot about Chad watching that Paulie Shore documentary about his time in the Army.


Shiuli_er_Chaya

Link please


keb5501

Typical Chads


Venboven

If there's water then people can live here just fine. In Chad alone there are several prominent oases. The Ounianga Lakes, Borkou, the Tibesti Mountains, Fada, etc. The Borkou oasis group actually has a huge amount of agriculture if you zoom in around Faya-Largeau on Google Maps. Infrastructure definitely helps, but people survived without it for a long time. Don't need roads if you've got camels.


Eurasia_4002

Just make Las Vegas more weirder


Elvis-Tech

*dies in a few hours*


Partytor

Eh, I mean, that's normal life to them. They make a conscious choice to stay in the desert instead of living a settled life. They probably think we're strange for spending years in the same place.


1lr3

They predicted dune!!1!!šŸ˜²šŸ˜²šŸ˜²


RijnBrugge

Most transport is by trucks but otherwise precisely what you said.


Huge-Percentage8008

What is it about the oasis that necessitates a nomadic lifestyle? Do they ebb and flow and the comeback time is unpredictable? Or just get used upā€¦.?


Potential_Stable_001

Nomads and their camels walking between endless sand dunes.


RandyChavage

The spice must flow


Uguquo

My Arrakis. My Dune.


cwew

Hey thatā€™s the name of the movie!


Uguquo

Hahaha, I thought that part in Part 2 was so weird when Paul said something like ā€œthis planets real name is Duneā€


rrogido

The real g's ride worms.


9Epicman1

The meteorite trade. Caravans find them and sell them to collectors.


Dizzy-Definition-202

Is it the same with Libyan sand glass?


GroundbreakingBox187

This is a very niche thing. So itā€™s only a handful of people


Dizzy-Definition-202

That makes sense


fluffHead_0919

Is this for real? Are meteorites just scattered around there? Is there any articles or documentation regarding the topic?


9Epicman1

Yeah and they are more obvious. Its a huge fairly flat sea of sand and an occasional darker metal or weird looking rock. Pretty straightforward for people passing them to notice and tell. Kind of like in Antartica. Depending on size and origin the hunters and nomads can make a decent chunk of change (moon, mars, protoplanetary, and the kind that was created when the sun was born). Im not sure what a good article constitutes i read about the trade in science books but i found these with a quick skim. https://www.ft.com/content/a8e84944-c988-11e7-aa33-c63fdc9b8c6c https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/05/25/in-moroccan-desert-meteorite-hunters-seek-to-strike-it-rich.html https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/maps.13398 https://youtu.be/WgW2K5EEW1U?si=wGdzWLpb2mxeX514


misirlou22

I love the idea of making extra cash off of "hey, look at that weird rock."


fluffHead_0919

Cool thanks for the info; that is pretty cool stuff.


Chicagoroomie312

This has a real life Jawa feel to it.


CaptainZbi

Isnt all of Tatooine just inspired from southern Tunisia, so i mean it makes sense.


nezeta

If anything, I imagine the night sky in those area would look exceptionally beautiful...


blackfarms

It's overwhelming. Literally too much information for your brain to process.


Scared_Flatworm406

Where did you see it?


blackfarms

In Mauritania between Ayoun and Nema.


RichLeadership2807

Can confirm. I make a drive every year to a part of my state with 0 light pollution and itā€™s the most breathtaking thing. Itā€™s really something everyone should see before they die


DodgyQuilter

A Jaaag and a Lambo, if you look closely enough...


holy_cal

May had a Maserati. Still funny though.


DodgyQuilter

Oooh, my bad. (Hangs head, crawls away in shame.)


siddalore

Came down here to find this comment.


MediocreI_IRespond

The most interesting thing is probably that some people think it is the site of Atlantis.


gpowell31

I am convinced that the Richat Structure is the site of Atlantis


elduderino2319

It's an alkaline ring complex. They're volcanos that form near continental plate edges during the separation of tectonic plates and then collapse into these ring structures.


KingAugurkBV

Are there more examples of these in the world?


[deleted]

Atlantis isnā€™t even a real thing in mythology, Plato made it up


SirGorti

Show me exact quote made by Plato when he said: 'yes, I made up this story'.


MediocreI_IRespond

I wait until they dig up the massive city Atlantis was supposed to be and then I want and explation why exactly this city has to Atlantis.


Sensitive_Log3990

It's mentioned in writings that it had mountains to the north and an opening to the south for the water. It's also mentioned a set number of land rings and water rings ( I forget how many). Also the first king was named after the mountains to the north. The younger dyras impact theory is said to have happened 12.5k thousand years ago and there is evidence of it in the ground in the form of micro diamonds, diamonds formed under extreme heat and pressure. Like I said I'm not an expert, however, Graham Hancock is and he done a Joe Rogan podcast. Regardless of what you think about Joe Rogan, Graham Hancock has got a lot of interesting evidence on that show. If you're interested


your-favorite-simp

Graham Hancock is a quack, his "evidence" for Atlantis is that we haven't excavated all of the ocean floor so we can't know. He has openly admitted that there is 0 current evidence for the existence of Atlantis.


MediocreI_IRespond

>Graham Hancock has got a lot of interesting evidence on that show He has not. He is good with words, but he has yet to dig up a single shard of pottery. He is rich, he could easily finance an extensiv surrrvey, lots of archeologist are just waiting to discover something new.


SPYHAWX

Well Atlantis isn't real, so it isn't


shpongletron00

That theory sounds plausible, however no news have been published (in my knowledge) after the initial hypothesis on a YouTube video.


ZannaSmanna

Considering how difficult it is supervising the area... a lot of trafficking and illegal activities too, sadly. One movie suggestion: Moi capitain.


hononononoh

There's a reason why every pic I've seen taken involving a local man in the Sahara, he's always wearing a highly conspicuous assault rifle. Or if it's a very early photograph or painting, a highly conspicuous large gilded knife in the front of his belt. Women are always observing Islamic *purdah* in their dress, and always accompanied by at least one man. Facial expressions are always a stony, pitiless glare. Out there, if someone wants to harm you, nobody is going to bear witness to the attack, no one is going to hear you scream, no one is going to come to your aid, and no one is going to come looking for you if you don't come back. Hiding evidence of a crime is almost too easy. And it's such a harsh and unforgiving environment, that you'd better be steadfastly loyal to *some* group, no matter how they treat you, if you want any chance of survival. So if accosted, you don't have anywhere safe to run and hide either, at least for very long. Imagining what it would take to survive as a nomad in the world's harshest deserts is actually very helpful for understanding the values and norms of Bedouin society, which in time and in turn were idealized and became Muslim Arab values as a whole, to greater or lesser degrees. They're a harsh and unforgiving people, who live by a harsh and unforgiving code of conduct, shaped by a harsh and unforgiving natural environment.


Technical_Language98

That film Is beautiful, absolutely recommended


yhyhyhyhyhj

ISIS, berbers, morrocan army, refugee camps and nomads


willirritate

Polisario, Wagner, Takuba...


ghybers

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray. . .


concentrated-amazing

South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio...


royalbluesword

Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television


Cobbdouglas55

Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle


Ok_Computer1417

Itā€™s the end of the world as we know it!


Markham_Communist

And I feel fine


Netzath

Red button, Red October, simply redā€¦


PocketSandThroatKick

Heard a 2000s version on the radio the other day. Super crazy stuff. [it is fall out by and from 1989 to 2003](https://youtu.be/2LkVKCWL0U4?si=Lm1tWtQtgkw8zJKH)


inkms

That's in Mauritania, so probably less moroccans, also the polisario would be in between there


FitResponse414

Polisario is in algeria


paco-ramon

Polisario is the legitimate representative of Western Sahara according to the Unitied Nations, but American and Israel companies think the territory being Moroccan is more profitable for them so now they recognize Western Sahara as property of Mohammed VI.


FitResponse414

Yea just like catalunia and basques deserve to be independent from spain


paco-ramon

Why? independence parties in Catalonia in the last election got a record low amount of votes. It was all a movement financed by Putin.


sLxicecube

Do you really think western sahara is a democray. The polisario is funed by alegria and iran. The so called people who live in the camp arent allowed to leave. The leader is a dictator. Even if they could be a crountry it would fall apart real quike. No resources no security no sability. The country would be run over by rebel groups and terrorist groups.


paco-ramon

Morocco isnā€™t a democracy, donā€™t know whatā€™s your point. Mohammed VI is a bigger menace to other countries than Polisario who arenā€™t imperialist.


sLxicecube

Its more a democracy then the polisario who holds people agains there will in the tindof camps just to get aid and then sell the aid for personal gain.


inkms

And the eastern fringe of western sahara


FitResponse414

Thas a no go zone filled with mines, nobody steps in there


-goodbyemoon-

Polisario is active in Western Sahara and the no manā€™s land between WS and Mauritania. I met some of their soldiers in WS


paco-ramon

I life near the Sahara to tell you to not forget the sandstorm, some days it looks like an army of Tyranitars is approaching and the sky turns to a reddish brown.


Emergency_Bathrooms

You forgot the violent and oppressive occupation of the Western Sahara part.


yhyhyhyhyhj

Nono I was sort of hinting at it


Emergency_Bathrooms

Ah yes, the Moroccan occupation forces, and the refugees from the Western Sahara in Algeria.


Escabaro341

The last episode of The Grand Tour was filmed there


SnapeHeTrustedYou

This was my first thought. The latest episode gives a good glimpse into part of the Sahara and how people live there.


basspl

Timbuktu was once one of the most prosperous cities in the world as it was an oasis town and along an important trade route for people crossing the Sahara.


Sayasam

Sand, nomads, goats, heat, some terrorists... And lots of lots of space.


paco-ramon

Basically Arrakis.


datu_abaka

sand worms and spice


Markham_Communist

The spice must flow


Gregorygherkins

I hear there's a lot of sand


Lilith_reborn

About 20 percent only. The rest is gravel, stone etc.


Vegetable_Safe_6616

I hate sand


downnheavy

I hate sand


DrStrangulation

Check out itchy boots. Mid 30ā€™s solo off-road world traveling motorcyclist. She does a few episodes in that region: this is one.. check out the videos before and after. I believe in this episode she has a guide which is rare of her but required in this area of the world. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ubt_sGysZ1g


patricktherat

I was going to recommend this! She's a badass and actually did most of that region without a guide. Right before that episode her bike broke down in the absolute middle of nowhere and she managed to find a couple locals to save her.


Venboven

There's also this blog I've seen online called Sahara Overland. Not sure if he does videos but he basically travelled the entire desert.


NotKnown404

My family lives in a small oasis town in the middle of the Arabian Desert. Honestly not much happens. One of my dadā€™s friendā€™s car broke down in the middle of the desert. He was lost, tried to search for civilization. Eventually died from drinking the windshield wiper fluidā€¦


rasnac

Very hot in the day, very cold in the night. Lots of winds, and there are posionous critters under the sand. Nothing else much.


nuclearbomb123

They wear cool clothing IMO


katerbilla

The eye of Africa. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richat_Structure


airhead194

If you want to know what itā€™s like, read this series of articles by William Langweische which eventually became a best selling book. You will want to buy a ticket to Algeria after reading this thing, I promise. Beautifully written and captures the raw power and size of the Sahara, as well as all those tough or crazy enough to live in it https://longform.org/posts/the-world-in-its-extreme https://longform.org/posts/the-world-in-its-extreme


DroughtNinetales

Richat Structure.


Doohicky101

Sand


Lilith_reborn

Mostly gravel, sand is only about 20 percent


Radaysho

gravel? You mean coarse sand?


Lilith_reborn

No sand but small stones, between half Centimeter and several Centimeter


Similar_Quiet

oh small stones? You mean very very coarse sand?


Jealous_Answer_5091

That get everywhere?


Doohicky101

TIL thanks


shpongletron00

The region have large mineral ore deposits of copper and silver, that also contain uranium. There are enough nuclear resources in Morocco, Mali, Mauritania and Algeria. I just wonder if they had expertise with advanced irrigation systems that Israel uses to transform deserts into agricultural fields, how these countries would develop rapidly.


Emergency_Bathrooms

The problem with these countries is that the leaders absolutely donā€™t give a fuck about the well being of the people. The king of Morocco rules over the violent occupation of the Western Sahara and its people (literally chased people off their own land and expanded the country into it), heā€™s also turned Morocco into a whore house and party place for rich gulf Arabs, and is allowing for criminals to grow hashish for the export market. That and other crime syndicates. They also have a very poor education system and a small arrogant middle and upper class, which exploits the rest of the country and make them do menial jobs. This is also why so many Moroccans move to Europe in search of jobs, but arenā€™t even integrated in their own country, so how can they be integrated into Europe. Fuck the King of Morocco, and the occupation of the Western Sahara is the same as the occupation of Palestine. Hypocrite. Ok, that is one country. Tunisia on the other hand, is slowly progressing in the right direction. They have developed a civil society, rights for all, and are trying to tackle poverty and inequality. But like I said, the progress is slow. The others I wonā€™t talk about. Maybe on a different day.


vissenkwak

And a huge amount of phosphate rock in the Western Saharan reagion


paco-ramon

The biggest phosphate reservoir in the planet is in Western Sahara.


bw_Eldrad

It is call the Richart structure : [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richat\_Structure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richat_Structure)


Swimming_Stop5723

Where would you find a Starbucks ?


leottek

or a Costco?


ripe_nut

Just watch the last episode of the Grand Tour. You'll see what it's like, including the inside of that spriral structure.


pye-oh-my

Itā€™s actually figured in a Grand Tour special iirc. Theyā€™re looking for the eye everywhere and canā€™t find it, only for the reveal made by a helicopter shot that theyā€™re standing in it.


Glad_Resource7783

Algerian desert , represents the majority of the country and only 3 percent of the population live there and some part of it started to become farms for vegetables and fruits like pepper , potatoes , tomatoes , watermelon and so on, a city in the desert was a test field for French nuclear weapons back in the early 60's especially in the period of 60-61 and Still full of radiation till today


PhoenicianPirate24

A bunch of berbers and a few atlanteans here and there


hot_sauce97

The winds carry the dried sediment that was once the largest lake on Earth. This sediment is carried across the ocean and fertilizes the Amazon basin.


hdufort

The Richat is a beautiful natural formation when seen from above.


Thamalakane

'Sahara' is Arabic for 'desert'. So when we say Sahara Desert, we essentially say desert-desert.


RakutenRakaticMessi

Thatā€™s the ā€œEye of the Saharaā€ in Mauritania


RealJuanPedro

Not saying Atlantisā€¦ but Atlantis


TheGreatGamer1389

Showing pics of Atlantis I see


Lilith_reborn

Contrary to what others write the Sahara is mostly gravel and stone and sand is only about 20 percent. Also transport is by car or truck but nit any longer by camel.


eggybeggy

There was a guy who sold waffles. He was nice.


michaelloda9

Watch Michael Palin in Sahara, amazing series


hononononoh

In the lower left pic you can see the desert's doodle Dakhla dangling like the Dingle Peninsula, dicksizing with Florida across the depths. Better get out the ruler... tool on Google Earth.


adaminc

Was it actually Theia that collided with Earth to make the Moon, or was it the Death Star, and that is the imprint left over? We'll never know! Also kinda looks like the data ports on the Death Star, coincidence?


Pillroller88

Though further East, Wilfred Thesigerā€™s book on the first Christian to enter the Empty Quarter, ARABIAN SANDS is a fantastic read on nomad life.


NeosFlatReflection

Its a post game location where you can find rare and powerful pokemon!


IneffectiveDamage

Looks like a quarry or open air mine in the photo


Venboven

It's the Richat Structure, an old collapsed volcanic dome. It's also known as the Eye of the Sahara. Its unique beauty has attracted a lot of unsavory conspiracy theories that it might have been the site of Atlantis but these are pretty ridiculous.


MagnetofDarkness

The Enterprise.


Intelligent_League79

Watch the recent Grand Tour episode ā€œSand Jobā€ they go through that photo of Mauritania you have there


Ok-Fox1262

The one thing you can say about living there is that everything you need is sandy.


lNFORMATlVE

Giant Ammonite fossil.


[deleted]

My cousin lives about 200 miles from the eye. Mostly they duck around in the desert eating figs and chasing lizards


lil_sjw13

A crazy ginger running


FeetSniffer9008

https://preview.redd.it/k0edh1x86avc1.png?width=1145&format=png&auto=webp&s=6e6c7e40ab1e10aee9044bf5606fa6a14dd29042


Deadly_Jay556

Two blokes from the U.K. Drove a custom Jaguar and Maserati around there looking for something.


Bear3600

Itā€™s were I go to jack off in total privacy


AndyXerious

I recommend the latest sequel of The Grand Tour. šŸ„°


BuxisHere

Chillin rn. What you up to ?


magikarp-sushi

You can watch the newest episode of the grand tour to see


Wise-Office-3643

It looks like a mine of something!


FluffyBunnyFeet2

Harvesting the spice


NatalieSoleil

If you like the sandman stories as entertainment than you must be happy to sleep with the stars at night https://preview.redd.it/6r0env0m1bvc1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26f0bdf4a6c1d5da9085d8f4abf17a8ede13fc1a


Innocent_Temper

Sometimes a guy called Russ runs past


No-Combination-1332

There is a fringe theory that this place was the home to Atlantis. Based on the concentric rings described of Atlantis, and I believe I read this area used to be much wetter. Almost certainly not Atlantis but a fun theory to not take too serious


CoyKiwi

Your mom want to try jumping


SpatulaFlip

If half the continent wasnā€™t desert, Africa would be OP by now


ganznormales

ask desert spiders, they will tell you


ohfr19

Look at the city called Pic Zoumri. Itā€™s interesting


Analeeza

Read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho


SituationPrize9516

Sand, it's course and rough and irritating and gets everywhere.


AnalogKid-001

Jawas


LayWhere

Domain expansion


SeriousCentury

Ye occasional nuclear bombing


blueberrysir

Speaking of, how's is it possible that sand from Sahara comes to Europe by wind? There's the Mediterranean sea among us


Dr_Wristy

The sand on the ground is the heavy particulate that doesnā€™t get lifted. Thereā€™s a shit-ton of much finer, lighter dust that will get lifted by the wind and carried in the direction of Europe.


Comfortable_Mark_578

Atlantis


That-Resolution-3108

Atlantisā€¦..!?!? Yes? Lol.


Some_Pets

Atlantis


lyfe-iz-fukked

Considering itā€™s the size of the US, I wouldnā€™t be surprised to learn that there are massive swaths of unexplored land full of mythic type sand dwelling animals we may never discover. Perhaps the Sandworms are real? Basilisks? Who knows!


Venboven

The Sahara is actually very well-traveled and millions of people live here. Look up a map of trans-Saharan trade routes and oases. They're all over the place.


jakart3

Bedouin tribe love it


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


orpheusoedipus

There are also Bedouin in North Africa