Ahaggar Mountains

The Ahaggar Mountains, also known as the Hoggar, are a highland region in central Sahara, southern Algeria. They are located about 1,500 km (932 miles) south of the capital, Algiers and just west of Tamanghasset. The region is largely a rocky desert with an average altitude of more than 900 metres (2,953 feet) above sea level. The highest peak is at 2918 meters (Tahat ). A famous and very visited point is the Assekrem , where le Père de Foulcault lived in summer (1905).

Ahaggar Mountains are essentially constituted of volcanic rocks. The climate is very hot in summer and temperatures are below 0°C in winter. Rainfall is rare and sporadic. However, since the climate in less extreme than generally in the Sahara, Ahaggar Mountains is a major location for biodiversity and hosts relicts species. Ahaggar Mountains ecology is best described in the article West Saharan montane xeric woodlands, the ecoregion the area belongs to.

The Ahaggar massif is the land of the Imuhagh , the Tuareg people. In the oasis of Abalassa near the town of Tamanghasset is located the tomb of the famous Tin Hinan, the matriach believed to be the ancestor of the Tuareg of Ahaggar. According to legend, Tin Hinan originated from Tafilalt region in the Atlas mountains. The main city nearby the Ahaggar is Tamanghasset, built in a desert valley or wadi.

Today, the Ahaggar region is a prime tourist destination in Algeria.

See also

• ecotourism
• List of plants in the Sahara