The secret of the Sahara : Kufara

Across the vast Libyan Desert lies Kufara, a remote chain of oases long marked by uncertainty and rumor. This account follows an ambitious expedition from Cyrenaica toward the hidden lakes and settlements of Kebabo, traveling through a landscape of salt flats, stone plains, shifting dunes, and almost unimaginable distances. The journey is made with Egyptian explorer Ahmed Mohammed Bey Hassanein, whose local knowledge and companionship prove essential.

Blending firsthand adventure with careful observation, the narrative explores the geography, history, and peoples of a region few Europeans had seen. It considers ancient rivers and vanished lakes, the routes of desert caravans, and the traces of life that endure in one of the world’s most severe environments. Photographs and vivid descriptions bring the terrain, animals, encampments, and oasis communities into view, while the travelers’ daily uncertainties—navigation, water, weather, and relations with those they meet—give the expedition an immediate human dimension.