Hamada El Hamra

The Hamada al-Hamra, or Red Hamada, is a vast stony plateau south of the Nafusa Mountains. It stretches towards the northern edge of Fezzan, its exposed rock and gravel contrasting with the great sand seas farther south. Dry valleys cut the plateau, carrying water only after infrequent rain. The hamada forms part of the formidable desert country between the cultivated Mediterranean coast and the oasis settlements of the interior.