Richat Structure
About This Museum
Honestly, the most incredible thing about this place is that you can't even see its main feature from the ground—you need a satellite to truly appreciate the 25-mile-wide bullseye known as the Eye of the Sahara. It's this massive, mysterious geologic dome rising from an otherwise flat and empty desert. The whole area feels like you're walking across another planet, with strange, concentric rings of rock in shades of rust and chalk surrounding you. It’s both humbling and completely surreal.
Collection Highlights
The 'exhibits' here are all natural: you'll find stunning bands of resistant quartzite creating the structure's ridges and huge fields of black and red volcanic rock called rhyolite. Keep an eye out for the scattered remnants of ancient hydrothermal vents, which tell the story of this place's explosive past.
Visitor Information
Getting here is an adventure in itself—it's a seriously remote spot in the Mauritanian desert, so you'll need a 4x4 and a local guide who knows the sands. The nearby ancient city of Ouadane makes for a fascinating stop to add some human history to your trip.
Architecture & Building
There is no building; the architecture is entirely natural, sculpted by millions of years of erosion into a breathtaking series of circular ridges and valleys.
Contact & Location
Address: Ouadane وادان, Adrar أدرار, Mauritanie موريتانيا
Website: Visit Website