Gara Medouar, Rock formation near Sijilmasa, Morocco
Gara Medouar is a horseshoe-shaped rock structure in the desert southeast of Rissani with a highest point at 859 meters above sea level. The walls of layered stone enclose a wide plain that can only be entered through a single opening in the encirclement.
Caravans used the formation during medieval times as a waymark on routes between Sijilmasa and trading places south of the Sahara. The easily visible shape helped travelers confirm their direction when moving through the wide sandy areas.
Berber communities in the area use the name for the formation in their oral stories about how the desert came to be. Travelers sometimes hear these tales during stays in nearby settlements, where the rock formation remains a reference point for direction.
Visitors reach the site through guided trips from Erfoud, with morning hours offering the best light for photography. A walk along the outer walls takes about an hour, and plenty of water is necessary in warm weather.
The encircling walls form an almost complete ring with only one gap about 40 meters wide on the northern side. The interior measures around 1 kilometer across and remains mostly flat, giving the landscape an unexpected sense of seclusion.
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