Erg Chebbi
Erg Chebbi
ⴻⵔⴳ ⵛⴱⵉ عرق الشبي | |
---|---|
Erg | |
![]() Landscape of the Erg Chebbi at sunset | |
![]() Two people atop one of the main dunes | |
Coordinates: 31°10′N 03°59′W / 31.167°N 3.983°WCoordinates: 31°10′N 03°59′W / 31.167°N 3.983°W | |
Country | Morocco |
Elevation | 730 m (2,400 ft) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Erg_Chebbi_pano.jpg/280px-Erg_Chebbi_pano.jpg)
Erg Chebbi (Berber: ⴻⵔⴳ ⵛⴱⵉ, Arabic: عرق الشبي) is one of Morocco's several ergs – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. There are several other ergs such as Erg Chigaga near M'hamid. Technically all these ergs are within an area of semi-arid Pre-Saharan Steppes and not part of the Sahara desert which lies some distance to the south.
Description[]
In places, the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise up to 150 meters from the surrounding hamada (rocky desert) and altogether it spans an area of 28 kilometers from north to south and up to 5–7 kilometers from east to west lining the Algerian border.[1]
The nearest sizable town is Erfoud, about 60 kilometers further north. One other city is Rissani, around 40 kilometers from Merzouga. Rissani was the site of a kingdom known as Sijilmassa, which became prosperous from the 8th to the 14th century due to its control of the caravan routes.
Although rainfall is not very common,[2] in 2006 flooding adjacent to the dunes destroyed many buildings and killed three people.
Tourism[]
Merzouga, the local tourist center, is located on the western lee of the dunes, together with some 70 or more hotels and auberges running north-south along the dunes. Many companies offer camel trips into the dunes, taking tourists on overnight trips to permanent campsites several kilometres into the erg, and out of sight of the hotels. Erg Chebbi's proximity to the tourist center has led to the erg sometimes being referred to as "dunes of Merzouga."[3]
During the warmest part of the year, Moroccans come to Erg Chebbi to be buried neck-deep in the hot sand for a few minutes at a time. This is considered to be a treatment for rheumatism.
Features[]
the Erg Chebbi seen from the outskirts of Merzouga
Camels used for tours into the erg
See also[]
- Aeolian processes
- Blowout (geology)
- List of ergs
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Erg Chebbi. |
- ^ Merzouga and the Erg Chebbi – Rough Guides
- ^ Travel To The Erg Chebbi Dunes in Morocco's Sahara Desert
- ^ Jean Michel, Jarre (2007). Jean Michel Jarre - The Making of Water for Life. Idesine. p. 31. ISBN 9781903527238.
- Ergs of Africa
- Landforms of Morocco
- Deserts of Algeria
- Errachidia Province
- Geography of Drâa-Tafilalet
- Morocco geography stubs