ColorChallenge - Wednesday Yellow - 📷 Dunes of Merzouga, Morocco

When a wealthy family refused hospitality to a poor woman and her son, God was offended and buried them under the mounds of sand called Erg Chebbi. So goes the legend of the dunes rising majestically above the twin villages of Merzouga and Hassi Labied, which for many travellers fulfil Morocco's promise as a dream desert destination.

This is my submission for #WednesdayYellow #colorchallenge initiated by @kalemandra.
These pictures are original and were taken by me, @zanetaviz, in Merzouga, Morocco.

But Erg Chebbi's beauty coupled with Merzouga's accessibility has its price. Paved roads across the Middle Atlas from Midelt and east from Ouarzazate mean that desert tourism is booming.

In high season, coaches and convoys of 4WDs churn up huge dust clouds as they race across the hamada (stony desert) in time for sunset camel rides, and purists lament the encroachment of hotels flanking the western fringes of the dunes – although there’s no denying the spectacular dune views from rooms and terraces.

Merzouga is a small village in southeastern Morocco, about 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Rissani, about 55 km (34 mi) from Erfoud, and about 50 km (31 mi) from the Algerian border.

The village is known for its proximity to Erg Chebbi, an erg and it is for this reason a part of the itineraries of many tourists visiting Morocco. It has been described as "a desert theme park", and the Erg Chebbi as "a wonderland of sand".

Erg Chebbi is one of Morocco's several ergs – large seas of dunes formed by wind-blown sand. There are several other ergs such as Erg Chigaga near M'hamid. Technically all these ergs are within an area of semi-arid Pre-Saharan Steppes and not part of the Sahara desert which lies some distance to the south.

Merzouga, the local tourist center, is located on the western lee of the dunes, together with some 70 or more hotels and auberges running north-south along the dunes. Many companies offer camel trips into the dunes, taking tourists on overnight trips to permanent campsites several kilometres into the erg, and out of sight of the hotels. Erg Chebbi's proximity to the tourist center has led to the erg sometimes being referred to as "dunes of Merzouga."

During the warmest part of the year, Moroccans come to Erg Chebbi to be buried neck-deep in the hot sand for a few minutes at a time. This is considered to be a treatment for rheumatism.






In places, the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise up to 150 meters from the surrounding hamada (rocky desert) and altogether it spans an area of 28 kilometers from north to south and up to 5–7 kilometers from east to west lining the Algerian border.
Photos to imagine the size of these dunes:

GEAR: PENTAX K-m
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!steemitworldmap 31.149138 lat -3.971597 long Dunes of Merzouga, Morocco