Eye of the Sahara or Richat structure

 In the heart of Mauritania, amidst the endless sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, lies the Richat structure, or "Eye of the Sahara". This shape, which looks like a giant eye opened when viewed from the sky, has captivated the human imagination and amazed the scientific world for centuries. More than a natural wonder on Earth, this shape is a phenomenon that miraculously combines ancient legends and modern discoveries. This wonder was first discovered not by an explorer or traveler, but by astronauts. When humans began traveling into space in the 1960s, astronauts participating in the Apollo missions observed the Earth from space and saw such a clear, gigantic circular shape in the Sahara Desert. Completely different from other structures on Earth, this shape with a clear perimeter was captured on their cameras as a mystery.  Thus, the world saw the first image of one of the greatest geological mysteries of the century. The first idea that scientists had when they saw this phenomenon was that it was a crater formed by a giant meteorite. Its circular shape strengthened this possibility. In addition, its size was about 50 kilometers. If it was caused by a meteorite, they also believed that it would have been caused by a very large and powerful impact on the Earth. Therefore, this theory was widely discussed in early studies. However, in-depth research completely rejected this theory. Neither shock-metamorphic rocks nor rare metals such as iridium, which are usually found in places where meteorites have fallen, were found in the Richat structure. In addition, this structure lacked some of the characteristics that meteorite craters have. This prompted scientists to investigate further. After various tests, the scientific world came to a new theory. They found that the Richat structure is a natural geological phenomenon.  This view is a dome-shaped rock that has risen from the ground, formed over time by erosion and climate change. When the top of the rock was gone, layers of different rocks began to appear in a circular shape. Geologists have called this phenomenon an "anticline." This is a condition where the rocks are bent upwards. In the case of Richat, as these curved rock layers were eroded by rain and wind over time, each layer had a different hardness, and they eroded in a different way. This began to look like beautiful circles. That is why you can see the layers of different colors in this structure. When talking about the Richat structure, the most popular legend is that it is the remains of the mythical city of Atlantis. The Greek philosopher Plato described the city of Atlantis as a city with circular layers of land and water. This description has a lot of similarities with the Richat structure.  This similarity becomes even more apparent when viewed from the sky, which has led many travelers to believe in this theory. However, this claim has no scientific basis. Scientific studies say that the Richat structure is about 100 million years old. This is a long time before humans built modern civilizations on this planet. Plato's information about Atlantis is considered to be just a philosophical metaphor. However, this legend adds suspense to the talk about the Richat structure. Even though scientific explanations exist, the Richat structure remains a wonder. This "eye" of the Earth still holds many mysteries. Its size, its exact shape, and how it was hidden in the desert for so long still remain in people's minds. This place is still a great attraction for every traveler and researcher who loves wonders. The Richat structure is not a meteorite crater, nor is it the remains of Atlantis; rather, it is evidence of the amazing geological history of the Earth.  A sculpture shaped like a work of art by time, nature, and climate. This eye of the Sahara is still a feast for the eyes of those who look at the Earth from the sky. The beauty of the Earth and its secrets amaze us even more.