The Ennedi Massif represents an island of biodiversity on the southern fringes of the Sahara desert. The landscape of the Ennedi is particularly impressive, with deep gorges bordered by palm trees, canyons, colossal pillars and arches, and windswept plateaus. The Ennedi constitutes a unique ecosystem, with a variety of Sahelian and subtropical species. In particular, it hosts a number of relict species of fauna and flora that were once common during the early stages of the Holocene, but have found themselves isolated from the surrounding habitats a few thousand years ago.

One of the most significant species are the crocodiles found in the Guelta of Archei, one of only few populations found in the Sahara. Furthermore, archaeological remains are found throughout the site, and are an important testimony of human presence and its cultural development. These artefacts include rock art, some of them unique in the Sahara, as well as potteries, stone tools and burial mounts.

Country : Chad

Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016 under cultural criterion iii and natural criteria vii and ix.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee issued the following provisional Statement of Outstanding Universal Value at the time of inscription:

The Ennedi Massif is a veritable open-air museum where thousands of testimonies of the natural and cultural history of the region are present. The wet period of the Lower Holocene lasted from 11,700 to 4,300 BP, after which the present Saharan climate took hold. The increase in rainfall allowed the establishment of a fauna and flora that did not previously exist in this region, as well as the evolution of a very particular human culture. Thanks to its unique topology and microclimate, much of the human and natural heritage of the Ennedi Massif has survived to the present day after the climate dried out, unlike the surrounding area and most of the Sahara. Over time, water and wind erosion have sculpted the Ennedi Plateau, carving out deep canyons and valleys and creating spectacular landscapes with outstanding, aesthetically impressive features, including natural arches, rock pillars, peaks and cliffs.

The massif is located in north-eastern Chad, in the Ennedi-East and Ennedi-West regions, and lies on the southern fringes of the Sahara. In contrast to the plains surrounding the massif, the altitude of the Ennedi peaks at 1450m at the top of the Basso mountain. The orography and geographical location are the basis for the rainfall in the Ennedi, which is estimated at between 50 and 150mm/year, depending on exposure and location. One of the characteristics of the Ennedi Massif is the shift from a hyper-arid to a semi-arid climate, over an area of only a few kilometres. Usually, these climatic variations extend over hundreds of kilometres.

The culture that has developed in the Ennedi Massif over thousands of years is still alive and the present inhabitants lead a life very similar to that of their ancestors. Some aspects of their way of life represent a living tradition, although they have adjusted well to the realities of the 21st century.

On the rocky surfaces of its caves, canyons and shelters, thousands of images have been painted and engraved, constituting one of the largest collections of rock art in the Sahara and characterised by a great variety of themes and styles. The rock art in the Ennedi illustrates the cultural evolution and adaptation of lifestyles to changing climatic conditions in this area and covers a long period of time, about 7000 years. Exceptionally, it is common in the Ennedi Massif to find paintings from different periods on the same site.

Moreover, the Ennedi Massif is a unique ecosystem in the Sahara, a real island of biodiversity populated by Sahelian and subtropical species. It is one of the last environments in this immense desert to still harbour species that were widespread in this area during the first phases of the Holocene. There is a relict fauna and flora, located mainly in the gorges and gueltas. The most prominent example is the small population of crocodiles, estimated at around 10 individuals, which live in the Archei guelta.

The relict fauna and flora of the Ennedi Massif are composed of species not normally found at these latitudes, but rather hundreds of kilometres to the south, where rainfall is higher. The uniqueness of the Ennedi does not lie in the particularity of the species or their composition, but in their biogeographical aspect. As with the crocodiles, the species found in the Ennedi became isolated a few thousand years ago, when links with other habitat areas were almost completely severed due to drought.

These cultural and natural remains are surrounded by landscapes of exceptional and enchanting natural beauty that accentuate and enhance the uniqueness of the site.

Although the area has been inhabited and used by man for thousands of years, the environment remains pristine and forms the ideal setting for the attributes described above.