Richat Structure
قلب الريشات
Adrar Region, Mauritania · 21°07′26″N 11°24′07″W
The Eye of the Sahara: a 40 km bullseye of concentric rock rings in the Mauritanian desert, visible from orbit and almost invisible from the ground, which is exactly why hardly anyone goes.
The Richat Structure is a deeply eroded dome, not an impact crater: a bulge of sedimentary rock pushed up by magma, then planed off by 100 million years of erosion so that the harder ring layers stand as concentric ridges. From space it is one of the most recognisable features on Earth. From the ground it is a landscape of low scarps and gravel, and the pattern only makes sense from the rim.
The ancient caravan town of Ouadane, a World Heritage site, lies on the rim to the west.
Why it stays quiet
Getting here requires a guide, a 4x4 and a tolerance for Saharan tracks. Visitors number in the hundreds a year.
Where it is
Before you go
Travel only with an experienced local guide; check current travel advice. Nights are cold in winter. Carry all water.
Updated 2026-09-06 · Suggest a correction
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