Ben Amera

Ben Amera is a granite dome standing out of flat desert in northern Mauritania, roughly four hundred metres high and frequently described as the second or third largest monolith in the world after Uluru, though the rankings depend on how the measurement is made. A smaller companion rock, Aicha, stands nearby with sculptures carved around its base from an artists' symposium held in the 1990s.

Background

The rock stands 4 kilometres north of the railway used by the Iron Ore Train between Nouâdibhou and Choûm. The smaller monolith, Aïsha, lies 20 minutes west by car, and in 1999 a dozen internationally known artists marked the millennium by carving the boulders around its base. Reaching Ben Amera takes a 4x4 and an experienced desert driver, because the paving ends where you leave the road between Atar and Zouerrat, and Atar is where drivers can be hired. The sandy track follows the railway and crosses it at the 395 kilometres mark. Ben Amera is described as Africa's largest monolith.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ben Amera"

What you'll find

• The dome - roughly four hundred metres of granite standing out of flat desert.
• Aicha - the smaller companion rock a short distance away.
• The sculptures - carved work around Aicha from a 1990s artists' symposium.
• The isolation - a rock with nothing else in view in any direction.

When to go

November to February is the cool season and the practical window. Summer heat is extreme with no shade at all. The iron ore train passes at unpredictable hours.

Things to know

Rankings of it as the world's second largest monolith are contested and depend on the measurement used. Access means either the ore train or a long desert drive, both awkward. There is no water, shade or shelter anywhere near it.

Nearby

Choum is east, and Nouadhibou is west.

Key facts