▪️The Massif de Hogar is a mountain range that rises suddenly to the west of Tamanrassete, Algeria. The region has an average height of 900 meters above sea level, the highest point is Mount Tahat, in the center of Atakor. It culminates at 3,003 meters high, and is also the highest peak in Algeria. The Hogar massif is essentially made up of volcanic rocks and constitutes a vast rocky region within the Sahara desert.
▪️The Hoggar Mountains are home to the Ahaggar National Park, one of the country's national parks. ▪️The Hoggar mountain range typically has hot summers, with a cold climate in winter. Temperatures drop below freezing in winter. Precipitation is rare and sporadic throughout the year. However, because the climate is less extreme than in most other areas of the Sahara, the mountains are an important location for biodiversity, including a number of relict species. The Hoggar Mountains are part of the Western Sahara montane xeric forests ecoregion.
▪️The park also contains a population of herbivores, such as the Saharan subspecies of the Berber sheep and the Dorcas gazelle.
The vegetation in this area includes trees such as Vachellia tortilis, Vachellia seyal, myrtle and Tamarix aphylla which are spread throughout the area. Other plants may include Citrullus colocynthis and Calotropis procera .
▪️The Hogar massif is the land of the Imuagues, a tribe of the Tuareg people. The oasis of Abalassa near the town of Tamanrassete is the site of the tomb of the famous leader Tin Hinan, the matriarch believed to have been the ancestor of the Tuareg people in the Hogar Mountains.
📸 By Дмитрий Дубиковский