Mystery behind the eye of the Sahara: is the Richat structure a remnant of ancient Atlantis?

The Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of the Sahara”, is one of the peculiar structures on Earth. Located on the outskirts of Quadane, Mauritania, the giant ring has a great view of space that once served as a geographic landmark for astronauts when they used to cross the Sahara. For a long time, there has been a mystery behind the formation of enigmatic concentric rings in the vast area of the desert. Initially interpreted as a meteorite impact structure due to its high degree of circularity, it is now believed to be the result of years of erosion.

The Richat Structure is believed to be at least 500 million years old. The diameter of the ring structure is 40 kilometers and resembles a blue target. It was first noticed in 1965 by NASA\’s Gemini 4 mission, and astronauts took several photos of the structure to use it as a landmark to track the progress of their landing sequences. The structure was later imaged by the Landsat satellite which helped scientists calculate its dimensions.

Currently, it is argued that the Eye of the Sahara is a formation with the symmetrical structure of an anticline dome, created by the effect of erosion over millions of years. The center of the structure is made up of different types of rocks (volcanic, igneous, carbonatitic and kimberlitic), which were formed millions of years ago (between the Proterozoic and Ordovician eras).

Interestingly, these types of formations are common and can be found all over the planet, but this structure, located in the middle of the Sahara, is the one that gets the attention. Scientists are convinced that “the eye of the Sahara” appeared about 500 or 600 million years ago.

Interestingly, these types of formations are common and can be found all over the planet, but this structure, located in the middle of the Sahara, is the one that gets the attention. Scientists are convinced that “the eye of the Sahara” appeared about 500 or 600 million years ago.

Ancient Origins writes: “Plato described the city of Atlantis, an enormous circular city with an abundance of elephants, gold, and ivory. This is actually a reference to the A̳n̳c̳i̳e̳n̳t̳ city of Cerne, an A̳n̳c̳i̳e̳n̳t̳ Irish settlement in Mauritania, Africa. Cerne is derived from the Irish word cairn, which means stacked or stacked stones. Cairns is also strongly associated with the Greek messenger god Hermes and his Egyptian counterpart Thoth. The site of the city of Cerne, the lost city of Plato\’s Atlantis, is also known as the Eye of the Sahara or Richat\’s structure.

Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (ESA) shared footage on Twitter as more than 250 miles above the Earth\’s surface captures the \’Eye of the Sahara\’ in West Africa. The images depict a reddish and orange landscape, along with a deep indentation in the center that looks eerily similar to what resides on the Red Planet.

Interestingly, in Greek history, the name Cerne actually referred to two separate places: an African city near the Atlas Mountains and an island in the Atlantic Ocean that was 12 days\’ sailing from the Strait of Gibraltar. Likewise, Plato\’s Atlantis was a combination of the same two separate places: the island of Atlantis (Ireland) and the City of Atlantis (City of Kern/the Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania). In Greek mythology, Atlas was the first king of two separate places: the island of Atlantis and the kingdom of Mauritania in Africa. The Atlas Mountains, which surround the Eye of the Sahara, still bear his name.”

According to a study published by Macquarie University of Sydney, Australia, in 2005, several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the spectacular Richat Structure, but its origin remains enigmatic, while a 2011 study concluded that “the structure requires special protection and investigation of its own. origin”.

In 2018, an international team of researchers sequenced DNA from individuals from Morocco dating back to approximately 15,000 years ago. The study showed that the individuals, dating to the Late Stone Age, had a genetic heritage that was in part similar to A̳n̳c̳i̳e̳n̳t̳ Levantine Natufians and an uncharacterized sub-Saharan African lineage, to which modern West Africans are genetically the closest.

While scientists have found clear markers linking the inheritance in question to sub-Saharan Africa, no previously identified population has the precise combination of genetic markers that Taforalt individuals had. While some aspects match modern East African Hadza hunter-gatherers and others match modern West Africans, none of these groups have the same combination of traits as Taforalt individuals. Consequently, researchers cannot be sure exactly where this heritage comes from. One possibility is that this heritage comes from a population that no longer exists. However, this issue would need further investigation.

The main argument against the Richat Structure as a possible site for Atlantis is that it currently stands at 423 meters above sea level. There is a need to do more research and some serious archaeological work on the Richat Structure to finally be able to say whether it is Atlantis or not.