The Eye of the Sahara is a geologic dome with surrounding stone rings that resembles a bullseye target visible from space in the Western Sahara Desert.
The eroded sedimentary rocks form the outer rings that lie 25 miles apart, appearing to astronauts to shape a huge eye.
Having been determined to have been formed from volcanic activity, the Eye of the Sahara is also known as the Richat Structure that northeasterly winds persistently sweep clean of sand to keep the dome-shaped area from being covered.
Theodore Monod is credited with identifying the structure in 1974, and the inner area is relatively clear of artifacts. The features of the area appear to be concentric rings with the outer areas being more fruitful for those seeking to find archeological findings of artifacts.
The site on the Sahara Adrar Plateau is composed of igneous rock layers that erosion has shaped to resemble a blue eye as viewed from high above the Earth.
Scientists have concluded that the Sahara Desert was once a region of freshwater lakes, rivers, grass, trees, and vegetation, but changes in the rotation of the Earth and the position of the sun are believed to have altered the area where freshwater fossils can be found as proof of a different terrain many years ago.
On examination of the concentric circles of the Eye of the Sahara, theorists note that they correspond with the description that Plato gave of Atlantis, a city with five concentric circles made by moats around the city that featured structures made of black, white and red stones.
Plato’s description from 360 B.C. about the advanced City of Atlantis has led searchers to theorize that it may have been located in the Mediterranean Sea or near the Island of Bimini Bahamas.
Since astronauts photographed the Eye of the Sahara, theorists seeking to locate the lost City of Atlantis have a new area to explore in hopes of finding what Plato described as the most advanced city of his time.
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