Aisha monolith, close to Ben Amera second largest monolith in the world, Adrar Region, Mauritania


Ben Amera is Africa's largest monolith rising 633m above the desert floor. It's the world's second largest monolith only behind Uluru, in Australia. Locals will tell you that geologists think it might be larger than Uluru if the rock that lies beneath the Saharan sands were included in the measure of its size. Ben Amera is located in Mauritania, near the border with Western Sahara. It lies 4km north of the train track where the famous Iron Ore Train travels between Nouâdibhou and Choûm. Nearby, a lesser monolith, Aïsha lies a 20-minute drive to the west of Ben Amera. "In 1999, a dozen artists of international fame celebrated the millennium by carving into the boulders at the base of Aïsha. They etched deep into the stone creating animal shapes as well as abstract. Some of the artworks are installation pieces that go beyond the boulder’s surface and use multiple stones in specific configurations to create their effect. Both of these monoliths are worth a visit.


Size: 6016px × 4016px
Location: Ben Amira monolith, Adrar Region, Mauritania
Photo credit: © Roberto Cornacchia / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: 4x4, adrar, africa, african, aisha, amera, arab, arabic, arabs, ben, berber, berbers, bidhan, choum, desert, destination, destinations, driver, dry, experienced, female, haratin, islam, islamic, male, mauritania, mauritanian, monolith, moor, moors, muslims, nature, nomad, nomadic, nomads, outdoor, rock, sahara, sahel, sand, sands, scenic, sunni, tour, tourism, travel, traveling, travelling, vacation, vagina-shaped, vehicle, west, world