The Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert
The Great Sand Sea: Egypt’s Majestic Ocean of Dunes
Extending across the gigantic Western Desert of Egypt and creeping into Libya, the Great Sand Sea remains one of the most magnificent and mysterious dune fields on our planet. This great natural wonder sprawls over an area of about 72,000 square kilometres and is thus among the largest bodies of continuous sand sea in the world. With its wide sweeps of dunes, gleaming sands, and chilling silence, the Great Sand Sea is a real-life world of fantasy and the physical record of colossal geological forces at work.
Geographical Location and Extent
The Great Sand Sea is to the west of the Nile and stretches from just below Siwa Oasis to Gebel Uweinat in the south. It is a gigantic band of dunes, which stretches for hundreds of kilometres along the Egypt–Libya border.
This great sea of sand is comprised of longitudinal dunes that are about 100 kilometres in length and 100 meters in height or more. The uniformity and parallel orientation of these dunes are due to the effect of prevailing winds for thousands of years.
Geological and Natural Features
The Great Sand Sea is an area covered by quartz sand that forms ridges, waves, and valleys due to the process of wind erosion and deposition. Certain regions possess peculiar geological formations, like
Silica Glass Field: In the vicinity of the Gilf Kebir plateau, scientists have discovered Libyan Desert Glass, a strange alien natural glass caused by an ancient meteorite landing. These fragments are some of the purest silica that have ever been found in nature and were even used in ancient artifacts like a scarab that formed a part of Tutankhamun’s pectoral.
Sabkhas and Interdune Plains: In between the vast expanse of dunes, there are low-lying plains and salt flats (sabkhas) that create a strong contrast with the great sand mounds they are surrounded by.
Historical and Archaeological Significance
Unfriendly as it is, the Great Sand Sea has been part of the ancient trade routes and has been surveyed as part of various expeditions, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The area holds:
Prehistoric rock art, with particular reference to the Gilf Kebir and Jebel Uweinat, showing animals, humans, and a part of daily life from a greener Sahara time.
Remains of World War II, such as vehicles’ remains and those relics from the period when the Long Range Desert Group was functioning in the region.
Modern Exploration and Tourism
Although still distant and difficult to reach, the Great Sand Sea has become an object of desert expeditions and 4×4 safaris, as well as a spot for adventure tourists. Guided trips tend to take off from the Siwa Oasis or the Bahariya Oasis, which takes the travellers into the depths of the dunes and remote desert monuments such as
The Gilf Kebir Plateau
Wadi Sura (Cave of Swimmers)
Ain Dalla & Abu Ballas (The Pottery Hill)
In return, visitors receive unequalled tranquilly, stargazing, and the look and feel of one of the last wildernesses of Earth.
Environmental Concerns and Preservation
The Great Sand Sea is fairly immune to human settlement because of its isolated condition. Yet, an increased interest in the tourism of deserts has led to a demand for sustainable travel practices to preserve this delicate ecosystem. The
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