Tassili n Ajjer is a mountain range located at the Sahara Desert. It wide plateau in southeastern part of Algeria at the borders of Libya, Niger and Mali at an are of 72,000 square kilometers. The range is composed mainly of sedimentary rocks, mostly sandstones. Erosion overtime forms arches and overhanging cliffs, rock shelter and caves. About 300 of the erosion results are known while many of them shows beautiful rock art.
The desert used to be have a moist weather and a rather a home to many people. These are shown through the cave paintings of animals and swimming people. Most animals painted in the rock art are hippopotamus, buffalo, rhinoceros, elephants and giraffe. These paintings are found in Wadi Djerat and Plateau of Dider.
Since the mountain is mainly composed of sandstones which is able to store water and transport it through pored by capillary forces, there is good local vegetation. The adequate amount of moisture makes vegetation more abundant. There are also Saharan Cypress and Saharan myrtle in higher eater half of the range which can be rarely found in dry deserts.
Tassili n Ajjer is famous of its rock arts. The panorama of geological formations of rock arts that come from eroded sandstones resembles to a strange lunar landscape. These rock art formations cover a period of a thousand decades. These remains stand witness to the lively manner to climate changes and the development of fauna and flora of the area. Traces of Precambrian crystalline elements and sedimentary sandstone succession of great paleo-ecological interest are the geo conformation of the mountain range.
Humans lived in Tassili n Ajjer developed cultural and physiological behavior and adapted to the ever changing climate. The rock art of Tassili n Ajjer mountain range is the most solid expression of the people lifestyle, the relationships between humans and its environment. Tourist are not only attracted to the brilliant formation of stones and rock arts but also to the stories that lie behind it.