Photo Gallery The Libyan Desert
Sand as far as the eye can see. This is the Idehan Ubari -- or Ubari Sand Sea -- of southwestern Libya. The Tuareg call it the "waterless sea."
Natural wonders: In the middle of the sand dunes, you can find the Udari Lakes. Scientists are still not sure why these freshwater lakes have survived.
15,000 years ago, this area was covered by a gigantic freshwater lake.
Signs of the past. Cave paintings from 7,000 years ago provide a testament to a different environment.
The rolling sand dunes of Libya are home to one of the most arid landscapes in the world.
Transportation on four legs: For centuries, camels have been the best form of transportation through the desert.
When the sun is at its peak, human eyes lose the power to find spatial structure in the desert.
Sand dunes cover only 20 percent of the Sahara's surface. More commonly you will find high plateaus of rocky crags or broken stone, such as basalt or lava.
In the summer, temperatures can skyrocket to 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit), and it gets really cold at night because there is no cloud cover to lock in the warm air.
Dinner in the desert can be a glass of tea with couscous and camel meat.
Pearl of the Sahara: The Libyan city of Ghadames lies near the borders with Tunesia and Algeria. What once used to be a powerful desert metropolis is now mostly abandoned. The old part of the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
