The Sahara Desert used to be green with a sea
The Sahara Desert was once green.
Reviewed by the CurioVault curator · 8 October 2026 · Last updated 20 September 2026 · Editorial standards
The Sahara Desert was once green. Between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago during the African Humid Period, orbital shifts brought monsoon rains to North Africa. What is now sand was wooded savanna with rivers, hippos, and dairy herders. At its centre lay Lake Mega Chad, covering over 400,000 square kilometers, larger than the modern Caspian Sea. NASA's radar has mapped its ancient shorelines still visible today. Rock art across Libya, Niger and Chad shows giraffes and swimmers where there is now desert. Scientists have counted over 230 such greenings in 8 million years.
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