Travel: Gilf Kebir

LexicOrient

Gilf Kebir, meaning something like 'Great Wilderness' in Arabic, is almost 8,000 km², larger than many European countries. Seen from space, it is an almost circular plateau made from limestone and sandstone. The mountainous structures runs out into the red desert sand resembling a heap of oak leaves.The area has no settlements, but catches some rainfall, and there is some fauna and flora. There is limited animal life, too, but today, desert foxes are the largest creatures around. The Gilf is another Saharan location with rich rock art dating back to prehistory.

This is a very brief summary. See the above page for the remainder, which is accompanied by three excellent photographs which just make me want to pack my bags and go right now.

There's a link at the bottom of the page to brief details of the Uweinat Mountain (on the Sudan/Libya/Egypt crossroads) with a photograph.