The Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye of the Sahara,” is one of the peculiar structures on Earth. The giant ring is located just outside Quadane in Mauritania. It offers a spectacular view from space and was once used as a landmark by astronauts crossing the Sahara. The formation of concentric rings in the desert’s vast expanses has been mysterious for a long time. It was initially thought that it was a meteorite-impact structure due to its high degree of circularity. However, now it is believed that the rings are the result years of erosion.
Richat Structure is thought to be at most 500 million years old. Its 40-kilometer diameter is similar to a blue bullseye. It was first noticed in 1965 by NASA’s Gemini 4 mission, and the astronauts took several photographs of the structure to use it as a landmark to track their landing sequences’ progress. Later, the Landsat satellite photographed the structure and helped scientists calculate its dimensions.
The Eye of the Sahara, according to current theories, is a formation that has the symmetrical structure of a dome-shaped anticline. This was created through the effects of erosion over many millions of years. The structure’s center is composed of a variety of rocks, including igneous, carbonatite and volcanic, which were formed millions years ago (between Proterozoic-Ordovician eras).
These types of formations are quite common on the planet, but the one located in the middle the Sahara is unique. Scientists are convinced that “the eye of the Sahara” appeared about 500 or 600 million years ago
There are three possible explanations for how the eye may have appeared. These include meteorite strike or volcanic impact. Experts currently believe the last version to be the most plausible. According to Atlantis supporters, the Richat Structure could be it. In both size and architecture, the eye of Sahara very accurately corresponds to the descriptions of Plato’s descriptions of Atlantis.
Ancient Origins writes: “Plato described the city of Atlantis, a huge circular city with an abundance of elephants, gold, and ivory. This is actually a reference the ancient city Cerne in Mauritania (Africa), which was an early Irish settlement. Cerne comes from the Irish word “cairn”, which means stacked or pivoted rocks. Cairns is often associated with Thoth, the Egyptian counterpart to Hermes, and the Greek messenger god Hermes. The site of the City of Cerne, Plato’s lost city of Atlantis, is also known as the Eye of the Sahara or the Richat structure.
European Space Agency’s (ESA) Thomas Pesquet shared images on Twitter while more than 250 miles above Earth’s surface that captures the ‘Eye of Sahara’ in western Africa. The photos depict a landscape with reddish and orange colors, as well as a deep indentation that appears to be very similar to 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’ sail from the Strait of Gibraltar. Similarly, Plato’s Atlantis was a combination of the same two separate places: the island of Atlantis (Ireland) and the City of Atlantis (City of Cerne/the Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania). According to Greek mythology Atlas was the first king of two distinct places: the Island of Atlantis, and the Kingdom of Mauritania in Africa. The Atlas Mountains, which encircle the Eye of the Sahara, still bear his name.”
According to a study published by the Macquarie University of Sydney, Australia, in 2005, several hypotheses were presented to explain the spectacular Richat Structure, but their origin remains enigmatic, while a 2011 study concluded that “the structure requires special protection and further investigation of its origin.”
A team of international researchers sequenced DNA taken from Moroccan individuals around 15,000 years old in 2018. The study revealed that these individuals were from the Late Stone Age and had a genetic heritage in part similar to ancient Levantine Natufians. It also showed an uncharacterized subsaharan African lineage that modern West Africans are genetically closest to. Although scientists have found evidence linking the heritage to sub-Saharan Africa through genetic markers, there is no other population that has this exact combination of genetic markers.
Although some traits match those of modern East African Hadza hunter/gatherers, others match those of modern West Africans. Researchers cannot therefore determine where the heritage is from. It is possible that this heritage came from a non-existent population. This question needs to be investigated further. Richat Structure is currently located at 423 metres above sea level, which is the main argument against it being a potential location for Atlantis. It is possible to determine whether the Richat Structure is Atlantis by doing more archeological research and further research
