Our beautiful world – Africa
Our world is made up of countless unique, magical and beautiful places. Over the course of millions of years, nature has shaped the landscape we know today. Humans have settled and enhanced the landscape with magnificent architecture and beautiful art. In this article we’ll take a look at some examples of this from Africa. These are ten of the most special places on the continent.
Ørken i Marokko
1. Sahara | Africa
The Sahara is larger than the United States of America, covering more than 9.2 million square kilometres across ten countries and stretching over almost a third of the African continent. It may surprise you to learn that it is actually only the third largest desert in the world, after Antarctica and the Arctic. However, it is the world’s largest hot desert.
The desert is actually not just sand, as there are also vast areas covered by a rocky plateau called hamada, as well as barren mountains. Between the cliffs there are relatively small areas of sand dunes. The most impressive of these can be found in Morocco.
The sand dunes in Erg Chebbi in Morocco are technically part of a sub-Saharan steppe and not actually a true desert. They do, however, give quite a good impression of being the real Sahara, which actually lies much further south. The dunes rise dramatically from the edge of Merzouga village and continue in all directions on the horizon. The dunes are around 40 kilometres long and run eight kilometres from east to west. They provide a sea of colour that varies from rust to rose gold depending on the time of day that you see them, and they can reach heights of around 150 metres.
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Sahara-ørkenen
2. Kilimanjaro | Tanzania
It may not surprise you that Kilimanjaro is a popular peak for people to climb. With a peak of 4,900 metres from the foot of the mountain, and situated 5,895 metres above sea level, the mountain will certainly make you feel like you are on top of the world. The dormant volcano which is located in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park attracts 25,000 climbers each year. It rises above the snow line, and the three volcanic cores Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira have white powder crowns. You’ll also find a rainforest, a mountain desert and cultivated land.
When you’re as high up as this, distances will deceive you. Even if something appears to be close, it can take hours to get there. This gives you an impression of how big the mountain is with its caves and ridges. With all the different plants and animal species you can see in this overwhelming landscape, Kilimanjaro is simply idyllic and life-affirming.
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Kilimanjaro og elefanter
3. Spitzkoppe | Namibia
Namibia is a country of endless horizons, untamed deserts and African wilderness. Even in a geological sense, this is an ancient country. In the west of the Namib Desert, in the middle of an enormous plain, a group of bald granite peaks stands out. It forms a natural monument that is so primitive that it has been used in films as the place where mankind discovered tools.
This is Spitzkoppe, which translates to ‘pointed dome’, an oasis of reddish, rounded outcrop peaks that stretch 1,784 metres into the air. The mountain has been nicknamed ‘Africa’s Matterhorn’ and is a mecca for climbers. It was formed 700 million years ago, and 130 million years ago it eroded into the beautiful island we can see today.
The bushmen, who were hunters and gatherers in 2000 BC, left behind stone objects and rock art that most likely depict rituals to bring rain. The rain transformed the plains around Spitzkoppe and the adjacent Pontok Mountains into fertile pastures.
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4. Victoria falls | Zambia and Zimbabwe
Even before you arrive at Victoria Falls, the spectacular 108-metre-high waterfall in the Zambezi River in Southern Africa, you can see the towering jets of water rising 500 metres into the sun-filled air. You’ll also hear the roar of the water flowing over the edge of a huge basalt plateau. No wonder then that the original name of this truly unique spectacle was Mosi-oa-Tunya, which literally means “the smoke that thunders”.
The Victoria Falls got their current well-known name from the Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone back in 1855 as a tribute to Queen Victoria of Great Britain. The waterfall straddles both sides of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The river borders on low sandstone hills and transforms a calm river into a roaring waterfall with more than 500 million cubic metres of water thundering down a gorge.
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5. The Pyramids | Egypt
Across the world, there are seven places that are known for a separate group of classical monuments. These are acclaimed for their structural magnificence and historical significance. The Colossus of Rhodes, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Great Pyramids of Giza constitute the Seven Wonders of the World.
While all the wonders were impressive in their own day, only one of them is largely intact today. This masterpiece of antiquity is also the oldest of all seven, an impressive and captivating testament to royal gratitude that sits on a plateau southwest of Egypt’s capital Cairo: the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The fascinating wonder consists of three limestone pyramids: the Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza), the Pyramid of Khefren and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Next to them is The Great Sphinx of Giza, which is dedicated to an unknown Egyptian royal. The Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and largest of the three Giza necropolis, with a height of 138.8 metres. According to the experts, it took 20 years to build it and it is believed to have been completed in 2560 BC. It is assumed that the construction was ordered by the second ruler of the Fourth Dynasty, Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled between 2609 and 2584 BC.
The pyramids were built in such an elaborate style that for several thousand years it was believed to have been built by extraterrestrials. However it is more likely that Cheops’ vizier Hemiunu was the architect. The techniques used during the construction are still debated, and experts have calculated that they would have had to hoist around 800 limestone blocks every day in the scorching sun.
It is a wonderful example of architectural genius, and for almost 4,000 years, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world, until skyscrapers started to appear. The Great Pyramid was originally clad in stone which gave it a smooth surface, and what we see today is the underlying core structure.
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Pyramidene i Egypt
6. Table Mountain | South-Africa
When you look at South Africa’s capital city Cape Town from the famous Table Mountain on a sunny day, you’ll be treated to a spectacular panoramic view of pretty much everything the country has to offer. Not only can you see the rest of Table Mountain National Park where this famous landmark is located, but you also get views of Table Bay, the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range, the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Mitchells Plain and the Cape Flats.
Sometimes it is also possible to see Robben Island, the infamous prison island where the late president Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. From a bird’s eye view, you can also see Cape Town Stadium, which was built for the football World Cup in 2010.
The cape cliff badger is a common sight on Table Mountain’s Dassie Walk, and is known colloquially as the dassie. It is a small furry animal which belongs to the Procavia family. Although it looks like a small hare, it is actually an ungulate related to the elephant. On Table Mountain, you’ll also find hedgehogs, mongooses, snakes, lizards, turtles and a rare indigenous amphibian species that can only be found on Table Mountain, the ghost frog.
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Table Mountain i Sør-Afrika
7. Serengeti | Tanzania
1.5 million wildebeest thunder over the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania, East Africa. They are on a 1,931-km trip to the green meadows of Maasai Mara game reserve in neighbouring Kenya. It is the largest movement of animals in the world, and the wildebeest is not alone. They are followed by thousands of zebras and Thomson’s gazelles. It’s a truly overwhelming and incredible sight, and without doubt one of the wonders of life and nature.
The Serengeti National Park is an impressive game reserve that was established in 1951 and awarded UNESCO World Heritage status 30 years later. It is an area of outstanding beauty, but has also been subject to controversy over the years – not least for the British-led decision to move the Maasai people off their land. However, the aim was to preserve the wildlife, something that has been successful. This is home to the largest population of lions in the world, and you’ll also find African leopards, African savannah elephants, pronghorns and African buffalos.
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Serengeti i Tanzania
8. Tsingy de Bemeraha | Madagascar
Madagascar’s stone formations are a natural wonder, and a metropolis of incredible creatures. Madagascar is an extraordinary place. It is the fourth largest island in the world, and has countless native species. Additionally, the island has hundreds of native birds, frogs, lizards, reptiles and insects. This biodiversity has earned the island the nickname “the eighth continent”. The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is quite special, even by Malagasy standards.
Of the country’s many different landscapes, this is by far the most unusual; a rock forest characterised by needle-sharp limestone formations, where some truly remarkable animals live. The landscape is called “tsingy”, which loosely translated means “the place where one cannot walk barefoot” or “walk on tiptoes”.
It was formed from shells and corals over 200 million years ago, and the limestone formations rose from the seabed before being eroded by rainwater five million years ago. The outcome is a vast landscape of pointed, jagged and sharp stone towers, interspersed with trees rising from the ground.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is so impenetrable that most of it wasn’t evaluated until the 1990s, when the Antsika Association was established to help the country value and protect this incredible area. They worked with the Madagascans to set up a comprehensive set of aerial suspension bridges, steel cables, pegs and ladders. They also trained local guides in climbing, equipment maintenance and safety skills so that they could safely guide tourists.
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Tsingy de Bemaraha i Madagaskar
9. Lalibela | Ethiopia
In order to understand exactly how special Lalibela in Ethiopia is, you first need to understand its history. In the 12th century, King Gebre Mesqel Lailibela decided to build what he called ‘a new Jerusalem’. This was decided after Muslims had stopped Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land.
About 645 kilometres from Addis Ababa, eleven monolithic churches were carved out of the mountain with monolithic doors, windows, pillars, floors and roofs. This massive project was made even more intricate with an extensive labyrinth of drainage ditches and ceremonial passages, including some that had openings to hermit caves and catacombs.
The churches were split into two main groups; five were built on the north side of the river Jordan, while the other six were built on the south side. The eleventh church, Bete Giyorgis, Saint George’s house, is a little bit further away from the others, but is connected via a system of hand-dug ditches. Today the place is run jointly between the state and the church and a large community of priests and monks still lives there. Each year on Ethiopian holidays, thousands of pilgrims make the pilgrimage there.
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Lalibela i Etiopia
10. The Nile | Africa
There are very few experiences that can be compared to a cruise along the world’s longest river. This title is often awarded to the Amazon River, but the Guinness Book of World Records states that the title belongs to the Nile, because the Amazon River has several estuaries that make it difficult to determine where it actually ends. Stretching a total distance of 6,695 kilometres between Lake Victoria and the Mediterranean, with water flowing into it from eleven different countries, the Nile is without question the longest river on the African continent.
Although most commonly associated with Egypt, only about a fifth of the river passes through the country. However, there is so much to see along the Egyptian stretch of the Nile. You can see high and low mountains, dry deserts and tropical rainforests. You can also expect to see a wide variety of ancient Egyptian ruins as well as several cultural and historical landmarks.
Along a stretch of the Nile in Uganda, you’ll find the beautiful Murchison Falls National Park. The park is the largest in the country and home to an abundance of exotic animals including lions, crocodiles, hippopotamuses and giraffes. There is also an impressive waterfall that has a 42-metre drop here.
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Sources:
- 101 steder du må oppleve (før du dør) (2020)
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