Desert expert expounds on the Sahara's importance
By Michael Riordan
The Sahara Desert is known for its size and beauty, but few scholars have recognized the cultural, political and historical impact it has had on the world, Eamonn Gearon, author of “The Sahara: A Cultural History,” said in a lecture marking the beginning of his American book tour. Approximately 40 people attended his talk in Haldeman Hall this Thursday.
“The Sahara is equal in size to the United States of America, including Alaska, and yet in that great mass there are just 4 million people,” Gearon said.
The Sahara’s dunes can tower over 100 feet in height and many of the desert's mountain peaks remain unexplored, according to Gearon. Gearon got a laugh from the audience when he added that the original Star Wars film was shot in Tunisia’s Chott el Djerid, the largest sea of salt in the world.
The Sahara played a major role in the formation of the world’s greatest empires including the ancient Egyptian empire, which considered the Sahara the “Land of the Dead,” according to Gearon. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Mansa Musa each recognized the majesty of the sandy expanse, Gearona added. Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage through the Sahara greatly influenced Europeans’ views of Africa. “It is said in history books that he had 80 camels with him just to carry gold,” Gearon said.
These legends of Mansa Musa’s wealth brought Europeans of the 18th and 19th centuries to the continent, Gearon said. Napoleon, whose invasion of Egypt was a failure, came “with an army of savants,scholars of language, artists,” who produced a 28-volume work on Egypt, the most detailed and groundbreaking account of Africa in their time.
Some of the greatest pieces of African art were discovered during the 20th century, Gearon said. Count Laszlo Almasy, famously depicted in the film The English Patient, discovered the Gilf Kebir, whose rock paintings are thousands of years old, according to Gearon. Today, the Sahara’s burgeoning art scene has drawn tourists.
“Every year in Mali they have an international music festival that features bands from across Africa and the world,” Gearon said.
Gearon hinted at the role the Sahara may play in solving the world’s energy crisis. The Western Sahara has the world’s largest concentration of phosphates, according to Gearon. DESERTEC, a non-profit foundation committed to finding renewable energy resources, is focusing on the Sahara to power the world’s energy, Gearon said. Placing solar panels in an area the size of Connecticut “could create enough energy to power all of North Africa and Europe,” Gearon said.
“The future in North Africa for energy production could be very bright indeed."
DARTBEAT, 5/11/2011
The Sahara Desert is known for its size and beauty, but few scholars have recognized the cultural, political and historical impact it has had on the world, Eamonn Gearon, author of “The Sahara: A Cultural History,” said in a lecture marking the beginning of his American book tour. Approximately 40 people attended his talk in Haldeman Hall this Thursday.
“The Sahara is equal in size to the United States of America, including Alaska, and yet in that great mass there are just 4 million people,” Gearon said.
The Sahara’s dunes can tower over 100 feet in height and many of the desert's mountain peaks remain unexplored, according to Gearon. Gearon got a laugh from the audience when he added that the original Star Wars film was shot in Tunisia’s Chott el Djerid, the largest sea of salt in the world.
The Sahara played a major role in the formation of the world’s greatest empires including the ancient Egyptian empire, which considered the Sahara the “Land of the Dead,” according to Gearon. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Mansa Musa each recognized the majesty of the sandy expanse, Gearona added. Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage through the Sahara greatly influenced Europeans’ views of Africa. “It is said in history books that he had 80 camels with him just to carry gold,” Gearon said.
These legends of Mansa Musa’s wealth brought Europeans of the 18th and 19th centuries to the continent, Gearon said. Napoleon, whose invasion of Egypt was a failure, came “with an army of savants,scholars of language, artists,” who produced a 28-volume work on Egypt, the most detailed and groundbreaking account of Africa in their time.
Some of the greatest pieces of African art were discovered during the 20th century, Gearon said. Count Laszlo Almasy, famously depicted in the film The English Patient, discovered the Gilf Kebir, whose rock paintings are thousands of years old, according to Gearon. Today, the Sahara’s burgeoning art scene has drawn tourists.
“Every year in Mali they have an international music festival that features bands from across Africa and the world,” Gearon said.
Gearon hinted at the role the Sahara may play in solving the world’s energy crisis. The Western Sahara has the world’s largest concentration of phosphates, according to Gearon. DESERTEC, a non-profit foundation committed to finding renewable energy resources, is focusing on the Sahara to power the world’s energy, Gearon said. Placing solar panels in an area the size of Connecticut “could create enough energy to power all of North Africa and Europe,” Gearon said.
“The future in North Africa for energy production could be very bright indeed."
DARTBEAT, 5/11/2011
