The Richat Structure is a fascinating, circular area located in the Sahara’s Adrar Plateau in Mauritania. Because of its’ circular formation, it is also known as the “Eye of Africa” and the “Eye of the Sahara”. Many people believe it is also the site of Atlantis.
While roughly 300 miles inland, the area around the Richat is littered in shells and even whale bones. So it was coastal, or possibly an island at some point in the past. The exact chronology of when the Richat was surrounded by water has yet to be determined.
Views from Space
This unique structure has become a landmark for space shuttle crews. as many spaceman have noted its’ wondrous view when looking at it from the space shuttle. The view includes the large, flat terrain of the desert so the beautiful formation can not be missed.
Is it Atlantis?
It has yet to be discovered as to what the Richat Structure is and how it was formed. It was once believed to have been the evidence of a meteor hit. Most now believe that it an uplift that derives from erosion. It is possible that it was man made. The area does show significant evidence of human habitation – arrow heads, ship anchors, pottery, etc. Cataloging the human record in this part of the world really hasn’t been done yet. So many travelers that have been through this area over the past centuries, it’s hard to identify cultural centers versus artifacts left by people passing through.
It has a diameter of almost 30 miles and portions of the rock has been dated and range in age from Late Proterozoic (2500 to 541 million years ago) to the Ordovician period (485.4 to 443.8 million years ago). This fits with some of the measurements originally given by Plato.
Sources:
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_528.html
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-eye-of-the-sahara-mauritania-s-richat-structure.html
