The Eye of the Sahara: The Richat Structure
Astronauts love gazing at the Eye of the Sahara from space, where it resembles a 40 km-wide flying saucer landing site. In reality, it’s just the remains of a dome that’s taken 100 million years to erode.
Photo by depositphotos.com
This circular feature in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania, with a diameter of almost 30 miles, has caught attention since early space missions due to its circular shape in an otherwise featureless desert. Initially thought to be a meteorite impact, it’s now considered a symmetrical uplift revealed by erosion, with Paleozoic quartzites forming the resistant beds. The Richat Structure looks great from above, but not so much from below.
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Richat Structure, Adrar Region, Mauritania
- Coordinates
- 21.11076, -11.39471
- Access
- The Richat Structure is in a remote desert north of Ouadane. The municipality places the structure’s centre about 30 km from Ouadane and says the mapped route is indicative. Arrange a suitable local 4×4 and guide, and confirm route and weather conditions locally; do not treat the feature-centre pin as a trailhead or viewpoint. The full concentric formation is visible only from the air or space.
- Admission
- No official site entrance or admission tariff is published. Arrange and confirm any local guide or vehicle costs with the operator before departure.
- Time needed
- No standard visit duration is published. This is a remote desert excursion from Ouadane; travel time depends on the route, vehicle, weather, and stops. Plan with a local operator rather than relying on a fixed estimate.
- Best season
- No official best-season guidance is published by the municipality. Confirm temperatures, weather, and road conditions with a local operator before planning a desert trip.
- Opening hours
- No managed visitor opening hours are published. This is an open desert geological feature, not a staffed attraction; access depends on safe route and local conditions.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-22
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-22
Map marks the area, not a visitor entrance.
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maybe it’s the Earth’s bellybutton?