Located in south-central Libya in the eastern Fezzan region, Waw-an-Namus is a dormant volcanic mountain from either the Pleistocene or the Holocene age that lies within the Libyan Sahara. Rising at 547 meters high, and a 100-meter-deep, it is considered one of the most unusual areas in the world, as it is an extinct volcanic plate of black basaltic tephra, extending over a distance of 10 to 20 km around the caldera. There are three multi-colored saltwater lakes on its flanks and plants such as reeds, bamboo, palm trees, and timber are located near them. The lakes of fifteen meters deep lose more than half of their water each year by evaporation, but are replenished by almost inexhaustible groundwater. The region provides habitat and a natural reserve for birds and animals thanks to freshwater springs that allow the growth of vegetation which contrasts with the surrounding desert. Animal life includes aquatic birds, flies, and mosquitoes, thus the name “Waw-An-Namus” which literally means “Mosquito oasis”.
The astonishing and unique bronze color of the scenery is not made of sand from the desert around but consists of basalt from volcanic activity. This volcanic field, which extends over a diameter of 4 km, is surrounded for more than 15 km by a deposit of black ash.
Many geologists describe the Waw-An-Namus site, as one of the most magnificent volcano craters in the world.
